FDA WARMS PRODUCE WITH 'HEALTHY' PROPOSAL

JOANNA RAMEY

WASHINGTON (FNS) -- Frozen fruits and vegetables will be able to carry the "healthy" designation, just like their fresh counterparts, according to a Food and Drug Administration proposal.

The $60 billion frozen food industry has fought for the designation, arguing that the government slighted frozen produce in developing labeling guidelines in its 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act.

Lacking the ability to use "healthy" on packaging has hampered the industry's campaign to tout the benefits of frozens, according to Steven Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the American Frozen Food Institute, McLean, Va.

"American consumers have a misperception about frozen vegetables. For some reason they think raw vegetables have more nutrients than frozen," Anderson said.

Under NLEA, the term "healthy" is permitted if a food is low in fat, is a good source of vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, protein or fiber and doesn't contain levels of sodium and cholesterol considered excessive under the nutrition regulations.

In proposing that the label "healthy" be used on frozen produce that is free of other ingredients like sauce, FDA agreed with AFFI data that frozen has the same -- and at times greater -- nutritional value as its fresh equivalent since unprocessed produce can lose nutrients over time.

FDA, however, remains cautious about being too liberal in its awarding of the "healthy" designation.

"FDA is concerned that if it were to propose to extend the exemption to all fruit and vegetable products, the utility of the 'healthy' claim for this category of foods would be greatly diminished," FDA said. "If the claim were permitted on virtually all fruit and vegetable products, it could not be used to highlight those fruit and vegetable products that meet the requirements of the definition without an exemption."

Regardless, the fact that FDA is even reconsidering its views toward frozen vegetables is a crucial endorsement of the nutritional value of processed food, said John Cady, president and chief executive officer of the National Food Processors Association, Washington.

Cady said his association still plans to lobby FDA to extend the "healthy" designation to canned and dried produce products.

Now that frozen vegetables can be touted as "healthy," Anderson said, the next step is for the industry to incorporate this message in marketing and consumer campaigns. He said a current AFFI in-store promotion program is directed at this goal. The association has mailed 20,000 promotional kits to stores as part of this effort, which ties in with the 5 a Day for Better Health program.

Written comments on the FDA proposal are due by April 29, after which the agency will issue a final ruling.