Thursday, October 18, 2007
Several examples of tricky labeling were found.
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
When it comes to getting the most heart-healthy benefits from omega-3, it’s best to go straight to the source: salmon, trout and other fatty fish, algae or fish oil. Otherwise, all you’re getting is snake oil — and paying more for it.
That’s the conclusion of the latest report by the Center for Science in the Pubic Interest, a nonprofit nutrition watchdog agency based in Washington, D.C.
It studied claims by a growing array of food brands that are adding DHA and EPA (the omega-3 acids) to their products. Another omega-3, ALA, found in flaxseed and to a lesser extent canola and soy, may not have the same benefits that lower the risk of heart disease, says center nutritionist David Schardt.
The problem is, the Food and Drug Administration does not require product labels to identify the type or amount of omega-3s in the foods. So in a sense, it’s a free-for-all.
The center identified several examples of tricky labeling:
•Breyer’s Smart Yogurt contains just 32 milligrams of DHA, about the amount you’d get in three-quarters of a teaspoon of salmon. And there’s no evidence against Breyer’s claim that the yogurt will “boost your brain.”
•Silk Soymilk plus omega-3 DHA boasts that each cup of milk has 400 milligrams of beneficial omega-3s, but a list in smaller type explains there is just 32 milligrams of DHA per serving (the same as a cup). The remaining omega-3s are the less potent ALAs.
•Kashi Go Lean Crunch! Honey Almond Flax cereal advertises 500 milligrams of omega-3 but doesn’t specify which kind.
•Land O Lakes Omega 3 All-Natural Eggs claims that it contains 350 milligrams of omega-3 per serving. Testing by an independent lab, however, found less than half of the omega 3 is DHA or EPA.
Schardt urges consumers to eat salmon or other fatty fish two times a week to get an average of 500 to 1,000 milligrams a day of DHA plus EPA.