FDA: Cheerios is a Drug.

**Fenris** · 05-16-2009, 09:42 PM

(Or should that be, Cheerios are a drug? Are drugs? Confusing!)

From Yahoo News Canada:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Popular US breakfast cereal Cheerios is a drug, at least if the claims made on the label by its manufacturer General Mills are anything to go by, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said.

"Based on claims made on your product's label, we have determined that your Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug," the FDA said in a letter to General Mills which was posted on the federal agency's website Tuesday.

Cheerios labels claim that eating the cereal can help lower bad cholesterol, a risk factor for coronary heart disease, by four percent in six weeks.

Citing a clinical study, the product labels also claim that eating two servings a day of Cheerios helps to reduce bad cholesterol when eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, the FDA letter says.

Those claims indicate that Cheerios -- said by General Mills to be the best-selling cereal in the United States -- is intended to be used to lower cholesterol and prevent, lessen or treat the disease hypercholesterolemia, and to treat and prevent coronary heart disease.

"Because of these intended uses, the product is a drug," the FDA concluded in its letter.

Not only that, but Cheerios is a new drug because it has not been "recognized as safe and effective for use in preventing or treating hypercholesterolemia or coronary heart disease," the FDA said.

That means General Mills may not legally market Cheerios unless it applies for approval as a new drug or changes the way it labels the small, doughnut-shaped cereal, the FDA said...

General Mills responded in a bland, vague way; basically saying that this whole thing must have been a misunderstanding of some kind. On the other hand, the FDA's position is that unless the Cheerios issue is addressed, the cereal will be removed from supermarkets and the company subject to legal action.

õ
I feel safer already!

**Asmith** · 05-16-2009, 09:59 PM

Well it seems that it's all just a matter that will blow over if they alter the packaging... provided no one dies from ODing on a bowl of breakfast ceral in the meantime.

**KissinDigital** · 05-16-2009, 10:13 PM

Are they that desperate? LAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawl.

**Ontir** · 05-16-2009, 10:13 PM

I've got to buy more Cheerios right now!

The FDA is ass over tea kettle on this one. Yeah, it helps to lower cholesterol, because it's OATS! Oatmeal does the same thing. They're not saying anything new, or alarming here, just letting people know, and it's a substantiated statement. It's like busting on anything soy, because it's high in estrogen. Is the FDA going to ban grapefruit, because it has a natural statin, too? What about circular oats made by companies other than Gerneal Mills? They have the same basic ingredients, and do the same things, are they banned too? How about Oatmeal, for that matter?

**Asmith** · 05-16-2009, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by Ontir

I've got to buy more Cheerios right now!

The FDA is ass over tea kettle on this one. Yeah, it helps to lower cholesterol, because it's OATS! Oatmeal does the same thing. They're not saying anything new, or alarming here, just letting people know, and it's a substantiated statement. It's like busting on anything soy, because it's high in estrogen. Is the FDA going to ban grapefruit, because it has a natural statin, too? What about circular oats made by companies other than Gerneal Mills? They have the same basic ingredients, and do the same things, are they banned too? How about Oatmeal, for that matter?

The problem the FDA has isn't in the informing people that grains are good at lowering cholesterol, but on the way Cheerios is marketing itself as a cure for various medical conditions.

Cheerios has marketed itself as a drug rather than a healthy dietry staple.

It's all about the wording - not the content.

However all this hoo-ha can't have hurt Cheerio sales any. That's a lot of free brand awareness the FDA just handed out.

**section 8** · 05-16-2009, 10:23 PM

Is this surprising?

The Medical Industry comes up with new frivoulous "diseases" every day so that the can have exclusive rights to treating the "symptoms".

I mean, "Restless Leg Syndrom"? C'mon!

**Asmith** · 05-16-2009, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by section 8

Is this surprising?

The Medical Industry comes up with new frivoulous "diseases" every day so that the can have exclusive rights to treating the "symptoms".

I mean, "Restless Leg Syndrom"? C'mon!

I thought I was having an attack of Restless Leg Syndrome once... but it turns out that's just what they're meant to do when you're walking.

**Fenris** · 05-16-2009, 10:34 PM

Originally Posted by Asmith

The problem the FDA has isn't in the informing people that grains are good at lowering cholesterol, but on the way Cheerios is marketing itself as a cure for various medical conditions.

It is?

I haven't seen that anywhere; though it would certainly change the context of the article. Can you show me a source where Cheerios says that it cures heart disease or other conditions, as opposed to just lowering cholesterol levels?

Cheerios has marketed itself as a drug rather than a healthy dietry staple.

I'm not sure how they can market themselves as a healthy dietary staple without providing some details; such as, in this case, its tendency to lower cholesteral levels.

(Or, rather, I'm sure they could; but I don't see why vague, unintelligent advertisements are such a thing to be prized. Or why the FDA is concerned with advertising, if nothing false or misleading is being said about the product.)

It's all about the wording - not the content.

However all this hoo-ha can't have hurt Cheerio sales any. That's a lot of free brand awareness the FDA just handed out.

Well, that's certainly true!

Part of the weirdness of the story is just that; the FDA is acting like a stereotypical Bad Government Agency, reaching stupid conclusions for what looks like pure paperwork reasons. And the way they're reclassifying a cereal as a "new drug," on purely rhetorical grounds, makes it look like some kind of weird power grab.

õ
But maybe there's more to it!

**Mermaid** · 05-16-2009, 10:35 PM

I tried Cheerios the other day......didn't like them at all

**a. non** · 05-16-2009, 10:38 PM

Originally Posted by Fenris

Part of the weirdness of the story is just that; the FDA is acting like a stereotypical Bad Government Agency, reaching stupid conclusions for what looks like pure paperwork reasons. And the way they're reclassifying a cereal as a "new drug," on purely rhetorical grounds, makes it look like some kind of weird power grab.

õ
But maybe there's more to it!

If i were a conspiracy theorist, i'd say you're on the right track

Originally Posted by Mermaid

I tried Cheerios the other day......didn't like them at all

You're dead to me Mermaid!

**Ontir** · 05-16-2009, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by Asmith

The problem the FDA has isn't in the informing people that grains are good at lowering cholesterol, but on the way Cheerios is marketing itself as a cure for various medical conditions.

Cheerios has marketed itself as a drug rather than a healthy dietry staple.

It's all about the wording - not the content.

However all this hoo-ha can't have hurt Cheerio sales any. That's a lot of free brand awareness the FDA just handed out.

I have high cholesterol, and I do what I can to lower it, including taking a prescription every night. I know Cheerios will help, but I don't think it's a cure, and I can't see how anyone with a normal intellect could. There are dumb people who need to be told not to use a blow dryer in a shower, but you can't base the world upon them.

I know I'm buying more Cheerios tomorrow, just in case the yahoos pull the boxes!

**Mermaid** · 05-16-2009, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by a. non pulls no punches

You're dead to me Mermaid!

Hey......SAY NO TO CHEERIOS! That's what I advocate!

**Asmith** · 05-16-2009, 11:48 PM

Originally Posted by Fenris

It is?

I haven't seen that anywhere; though it would certainly change the context of the article. Can you show me a source where Cheerios says that it cures heart disease or other conditions, as opposed to just lowering cholesterol levels?

Well maybe 'treatment' is a better word than cure. But with advertising clinical studies and promoting themselves as having an effect on medical conditions... the breakfast ceral was definitely moving themselves into the medical arena.