DUDE

Wanna do some walnuts?

(Thanks to Mark Schlesinger)

Comments

[Elon]

As a scientist I disagree entirely with the last paragraph of that editorial. Never underestimate the gullibility of the market. Add all the "natural", "heart-healthy" products that are also addictive, and one could have quite the enterprise going on. Stupid FDA.

[eil]

FDA = Foolishly Dumb @ss7oles... Let's all throw out our prescription drugs and do walnuts and that plant with the funny leaves.

[Diva, who likes walnuts]

I think the FDA needs to dial it WAY back. What utter foolishness.

[Loudmouth]

I had a handful of waldrugs on my oatmeal this morning. I think the FDA has hired too many new government workers with nothing to do.

[funny man]

Lets legalize walnuts and ban the FDA!

[Diva, who still has thumbs and is not Kolak]

You said it, funny man.

[Steve]

I worked under contract as an FDA inspector. Sometimes, they made a lot of sense. Sometimes, they didn't.
I think it had to do with the fact that almost any decision on any action had to go up through multiple layers of bureaucrats who hadn't been on field assignment in years. It's easy to get so involved in red tape that you can't see the real, live case that started the tape reel running.

[Steve]

Actually, if you read the actual FDA letter, and not the John Birch Society's rather fanciful interpretation, you'll find that what it's saying is that the nut company is making health-related claims that may not be true. For instance, the company claims

The omega-3 in walnuts can help you get the proper balance of fatty acids your body needs for promoting and maintaining heart health. In fact, according to the Food and Drug Administration, supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 oz of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet, and not resulting in increased caloric intake, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

whereas the FDA says

The statement suggests that the evidence supporting a relationship between walnuts and coronary heart disease is related to the omega-3 fatty acid content of walnuts. There is not sufficient evidence to identify a biologically active substance in walnuts that reduces the risk of CHD. Therefore, the above statement is an unauthorized health claim.

In layperson's terms, they're fibbing.

While there are certainly cases of governmental regulatory excess, I'm not sure that this is one of them. In fact, this is exactly the sort of thing that the government should be doing -- keeping people from getting ripped off and taken in by spurious "health" claims.

[2bRich]

Right on Steve... There is a big difference between freedom of speech, and freedom to advertise any way you want... very basic/common food law stuff... Anyway, hang them by their nuts!

[There are Too Darn Many of us Steves Lately]

Even before I read the other Steve's post, I was smelling something funny. The health food industry doesn't want consumers to know they rake in millions and are mostly unregulated.

[eil]

Another nut squashed... (sorry, blogmen) *snickering behind hand*

[funny man]

But golly gosh, FDA, Dr. Oz says walnuts can also relieve stress. I threw some at the FDA and it worked!