Advisor to Grocery Retailers Mis-Advises on Omega-3 Claims

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Created on 01, December, 2004

A firm that advises grocery retailers on how to draw more health-conscious customers warns against “confusion caused by conflicting information” about nutrition. 

In a news release, this firm suggests helping consumers by drawing attention to products such as a cereal claiming 1,000 mg of omega-3 [fatty acids]. Too bad they don’t point out that the source of omega-3 fatty acids in this cereal is whole flax seed, which is a poor dietary source of omega-3s. One of the reasons is that the whole seeds (containing the beneficial oil) mostly pass through the digestive system unabsorbed. Ground flax seed is a better source (although it is not shelf-stable and tends to be out of the question for use in non-refrigerated products).