The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized yogurt manufacturers to highlight that their products may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
According to a statement on March 1st, the FDA stated that it would not oppose specific claims as long as they are accurately worded to avoid misleading consumers and meet other necessary criteria for claim usage.
The food safety regulator described a qualified health claim as one that is backed by scientific evidence but doesn’t meet the stricter “significant scientific agreement” standard necessary for an authorized health claim.
Danone, a dairy giant, had filed a petition for a qualified health claim with the FDA, urging the agency to assess the connection between consuming yogurt and lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes. The FDA has since concluded that there is “credible evidence” supporting this association.
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According to the US regulator, a minimum of three servings of yogurt per week is required for this claim to be considered credible.
The decision arrives as an increasing number of US citizens are turning to GLP-1 weight-loss medications in their fight against the disease.
In November, a survey conducted by US investment bank Stifel emphasized the growing use of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.
Stifel determined that there is a potential risk to the packaged food sector due to the heightened utilization of drugs, notably Ozempic and Wegovy, produced by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.
According to recent research by Trilliant Health, approximately nine million Americans were using a GLP-1 anti-obesity drug by the end of 2022, and Stifel’s survey indicates that this figure could now be significantly higher.
The bank’s research revealed that 15% of respondents over a three-survey average used a GLP-1 drug, with an additional 21% reporting they would be interested in using one if they were universally FDA-approved for weight loss, had proven results, and became widely available.
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