"Super-Healthy" Cookie Dough?

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Created on 01, January, 2006

A new line of “100% whole grain” cookie dough is being touted as “super-healthy.” The cookie dough, sold in two flavors to the food service market, is further described in press releases as “two of the most…nutritious products to ever hit the market.” A nutrition facts panel at the manufacturer’s Web site shows one serving of the chocolate chip version to contain 13 g fat and 5 g saturated fat.

In order to describe or label a food product as “healthy” in the U.S., the product must meet certain nutrition criteria. One requirement is that each serving contain no more than 3 g fat. Another is that each serving contain no more than one gram of saturated fat. Clearly, this product cannot be described or advertised as “healthy,” regardless of its whole grain and fiber content. It can, however, be described as a “good source of fiber” due to a stated fiber content of 3 g per serving (although an additional statement would be required in this case to point out the high fat and saturated fat content).