Labrada Makes Low Carb Bars FDA-Compliant

Labrada Makes Low Carb Bars FDA-Compliant

HOUSTON--Labrada Nutrition (www.labrada.com)announced in early December that it changed the brand name of its new line oflow-carb bar, which will be known as Carb Watchers rather than its originalname of Low Carb Lean Body.

The reason for this change is to be in accordance with the Food and DrugAdministration's (FDA) rulings that glycerine is a carbohydrate. Even thoughthis constituent is chemically different from a carbohydrate--and, moreimportantly, does not elevate blood sugar and insulin levels like a conventionalcarb--it still needs to be labeled as such on the packaging since FDA classifiesa carb as anything that is not a fat, protein or ash.

The newly labeled bars will also contain a statement differentiatingglycerine from carbohydrates: "Carb Watchers Lean Body bars are ideal forpeople watching carbohydrates in their diets because they contain 3 g of sugarsor less per bar and are high in glycerine, a sugar alcohol that, althoughincluded in the 'Total Carbohydrate' number of the Nutrition Facts panel, hasminimal impact on insulin levels. This bar contains 7 to 10 g of glycerine.Glycerine contains 4.32 calories per gram." Technical questions about thischange can be directed to Dave Ramirez, vice president of research and productdevelopment, at [email protected].