It is only the third time that the agency has approved such a qualified health claim for a food label.

A provision for qualified health claims exists.

"The claims made in support of selenium are based on an FDA-approved qualified health claim."

Numerous studies have well documented the heart healthy effects of peanuts, which received a qualified health claim from the Food and Drug Administration.

Qualified health claims are excluded.

The FDA warned that it was exceeding the qualified health claim approved for food labels on the benefits of soluble fibre.

"The selenium claims are made by a [Food and Drug Administration]-approved qualified health claim.

Canola oil has been given a qualified health claim from the United States Food and Drug Administration due to its high levels of cholesterol-lowering fats.

But, Ms. Kretser said, the group would prefer to let each company find "the best language for each qualified health claim," rather than use the agency's wording.

The North American Olive Oil Association submitted a petition to the Food and Drug Administration for a qualified health claim for olive oil.

In the United States, these claims, usually referred to as "qualified health claims", are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the public interest.

Qualified Health Claims Subject to Enforcement Discretion, Docket No. 2004Q-0201, US Food and Drug Administration The FDA position reads:

In 2004, the US Food and Drug Administration endorsed qualified health claims for DHA, and by 2007 DHA-fortified dairy items (milk, yogurt, cooking oil) started to appear in grocery stores.

In September 2004, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it would allow a qualified health claim for omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, saying there is suggestive evidence that increased intakes may lower the risk of coronary heart disease.

The Scientific Evidence for a Beneficial Health Relationship Between Walnuts and Coronary Heart Disease (2002) - Report contributed to the approval of the first qualified health claim on a whole food by the FDA.

The FDA has announced the availability of a qualified health claim for reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) on conventional foods that contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and DHA omega-3 fatty acids.

Third, the FDA can issue a letter of enforcement discretion for a qualified health claim within 270 days of receipt of a petition, in cases where the strength of evidence falls below the FDA requirements for authorization (i.e., SSA).

Moreover, as Nancy Childs, a business school professor, wrote in Nutrition Business Journal in 2004, functional foods for obesity, for example, promise their manufacturers "a double reward": eligibility for qualified health claims and possible reimbursement under Medicare as a disease treatment.

On October 6, 2006 the Canola Council was successful in achieving U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a qualified health claim for canola oil’s ability to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to its unsaturated fat content.

A qualified health claim and the wording that must be used is illustrated in the following statement for tomatoes and prostate cancer: "Very limited and preliminary scientific research suggests that eating one-half to one cup of tomatoes and/or tomato sauce a week may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

The FDA issued a qualified health claim for almonds in 2003 that states: "Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as almonds, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease."

In 2004, the FDA received two petitions for qualified health claims regarding tomatoes, lycopene, and reduced cancer risk.