Foods Containing Potassium Receive FDA-Approved Health Claim

WASHINGTON--On Oct. 31, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that qualifying foods may use the health claim that potassium intake may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Foods containing at least 350 mg of potassium are now eligible to receive a health claim. According to FDA, qualifying foods must have at least 350 mg (which is 10 percent or more of the daily value) of potassium and 140 mg or less of sodium. Diets combining low sodium with high potassium were found to lower the risk of stroke-related deaths.

The claim was originally proposed by PepsiCo Inc.'s Tropicana Products to be used by its well-known, potassium-containing orange juice. PepsiCo is planning a $10 million marketing campaign to promote this new claim and will use a logo that reads "Promotes Cardiovascular Health" on its Tropicana orange juice. For more information, visit www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/hclm-k.html.