FDA Prohibits Certain Omega-3 Claims

WASHINGTON—The FDA has published a final rule barring certain nutrient content claims for foods that contain particular omega-3 fatty acids.

The rule impacts docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

Claims that products are “high in" DHA or EPA, and synonyms such as “rich in" and “excellent source of" are prohibited, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) revealed April 28 in an alert.

“Under current regulations, content claims such as ‘high in’ are only allowed for nutrients for which a reference level to which the claim refers has been set. FDA has not established nutrient levels that can serve as the basis for nutrient content claims for DHA, EPA, or ALA," AHPA stated.

Check out the rule here in its entirety in the Federal Register.