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October 27, 2005
FDA says health benefits of cherries can't be put in writingByRecord-Eagle staff writer Local businesses involved Local businesses warned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to cease overstating the health benefits of cherry products • Amon Orchards, Acme • Brownwood Acres, Eastport • Cherry Republic, Glen Arbor • Flavanoid Sciences, Traverse City • Friske Orchards, Ellsworth • King Orchards, Central Lake • Leelanau Fruit Company, Suttons Bay • Leland Cherry Company, Leland • Orchard’s Harvest (The Cherry Stop), Traverse City • Sunrise Dried Fruit Co., Northport • Traverse Bay Farms, Bellaire But Roster, co-owner of The Cherry Stop in downtown Traverse City, stopped putting health claims in writing after he received a letter last week from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It warned that it's a violation of federal law to tout the fruit's health powers to help market cherry products. "I was very surprised, especially since most of the language is using 'may,'" Roster said, pointing to research from Michigan State University and other sources that suggest cherries' antioxidant-rich benefits. "We're just wondering what prompted this." The FDA sent warning letters last week to 29 companies - including 11 in northern Michigan - that manufacture, market or distribute products made from cherries or other fruits. FDA officials directed the businesses to stop making "unproven claims" on their Web sites and product labels that their fruit products treat or prevent diseases like cancer, heart disease and arthritis. Products in question include dried fruit and juice concentrates. The agency cites violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which defines articles intended to cure, treat or prevent disease as drugs that would require separate FDA approval based on scientific data. The letters state that if the firms fail to take prompt corrective measures, they may face FDA seizure of the products, injunctions or criminal sanctions. FDA spokeswoman Kimberly Rawlings said the warnings emerged after employees in the agency's Detroit office saw some of the products on the market. Jane DePriest, marketing director for the Lansing-based Cherry Marketing Institute, said the organization has not been in contact with the FDA about the warning letters. She said the institute doesn't advise businesses how to label or describe products. "We're certainly concerned about it and are learning as much as we can," she said. "We want these businesses to take the letters seriously and respond to them." Glenn LaCross, president of Leelanau Fruit Company, said his business will comply and is considering changing wording on its Web site but he'd like the FDA to reconsider its stance. "We're stating what our customers are telling us," LaCross said. "It's hard not to want to tell the rest of the world." Roster removed the language the FDA cited from The Cherry Stop's Web site and said the business is fortunate because most of its product packaging doesn't contain the questioned claims. "We can still talk about it and we hear from people that it works," he said. "Word of mouth is more important than any Web site."
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Record-Eagle/Greg Undeen
