A consumer advocate group has called for the federal government to look into the use of the term “diet” by the beverage industry.
The Oakland-based group, U.S. Right to Know has filed a request with the Federal Trade Association and the Food and Drug Administration to investigate if the use of that adjective falls into the category of false and deceptive advertising.
The group claims that research has shown that the consumption of diet beverages in many cases actually lead to weight gain, as opposed to weight lost.
Statement from the American Beverage Association, a trade group representing the beverage industry:
"Previous research, including human clinical trials, supports that diet beverages are an effective tool as part of an overall weight management plan. Numerous studies have repeatedly demonstrated the benefits of diet beverages – as well as low-calorie sweeteners, which are in thousands of foods and beverages – in helping to reduce calorie intake. Furthermore, low- and no-calorie sweeteners have repeatedly been deemed safe by decades of scientific research as well as regulatory agencies around the globe – including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”
Guest:
Gary Ruskin, Executive Director and co-founder of U.S. Right to Know, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group in Oakland that focuses on issues related to the food industry.
Marianne Smith Edge, Senior Vice President of Nutrition & Food Safety for the international Food Information Council, a DC-based nonprofit health and food safety organization. She is a past president of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.