Use of "Healthy" Claim for Granola

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Created on 01, May, 2013

The web site for a granola product describes it as “healthy” and full of various nutrients from each ingredient.

The term “healthy” is defined and regulated for labeling purposes, and these granolas do not meet the criteria (total fat and saturated fat are too high for starters). And each ingredient is described with terms that would be considered implied claims, most of which are incorrect/overstated, especially for the small amounts of those ingredients in each serving of the granola. For example, apples are said to be high in iron, and bananas a good source of tryptophan. Both claims are false, even for full servings of each (e.g., in a whole apple or banana, vs. in a few grams of the dried fruit in the granola). The Nutrition Facts labels appear to be correct for the most part (and do not support the claims made elsewhere on the web site), except for the flavor containing dried mulberries. This flavor shows vitamin C at 15% DV, which is impossible. Maybe if the berries were fresh, but they are not, and once dried they lose most of that vitamin C.