CRN comment on claims ANPR Feb 25-2004

February 25, 2004 Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305) Food and Drug Administration 5630 Fishers Lane Room 1061 Rockville, MD 20852 RE: DOCKET NO. 2003N-0496, FOOD LABELING: HEALTH CLAIMS AND DIETARY GUIDANCE The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) welcomes this opportunity to comment in response to the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) for Food Labeling: Health Claims and Dietary Guidance. CRN, a science-based trade association founded in 1973, is one of the dietary supplement industry's leading trade associations representing ingredient suppliers and manufacturers. CRN members adhere to a strong code of ethics, comply with dosage limits and manufacture dietary supplements to high quality standards under good manufacturing practices. CRN supports this initial action by FDA toward rulemaking on health claims and dietary guidance on labeling that will incorporate procedures for the communication of truthful and non-misleading information to consumers through health claims on all foods, including conventional foods and dietary supplements. Correspondingly, consumer confidence in and understanding of health claims should be a goal for both industry and FDA, and we are pleased that FDA is engaged in ongoing consumer testing of health claim language. CRN supports the development of science-based regulations for qualified health claims, and provides comments and recommendations at this time, primarily on ...