Under-35s lead the shift into online news
Jeremy Herron
Associated Press
San Diego Union-Tribune
August 18, 2008
NEW YORK -- Fewer Americans are reading newspapers and are instead getting their news online, but television remains the leading source of news in the country, according to a survey released Sunday.
Not surprisingly, younger people tend to get more of their news on the internet, while older folks use traditional media such as television and newspapers, the Pew Research Center’s biannual survey on news consumption habits said.
Pew said the results show an increasing shift toward online news consumption, but that there is now a sizable group of a more engaged, sophisticated and well-off people that use both traditional and online sources to get their news.
The Pew researchers referred to these people as “integrators,” and says they account for 23 per cent of those surveyed, spending the most time with the news on a typical day.
“Like web-oriented news consumers, integrators are affluent and highly educated. However they are older, on average, than those who consider the internet their main source of news,” the survey said.
Pew found that the largest group of news consumers – 46 per cent of those polled – have a “heavy reliance” on television for their news at all times of the day. This group is the oldest, with a median age of 52, and least affluent, with 43 per cent unemployed.
Overall, among those who get some of their news from TV, fewer are watching evening network news broadcasts and, instead, opting for cable news sources such as CNN or Fox News Channel.
The group that relies most on the Internet for news [Net-Newsers] is the youngest at a median age of 35. It is also the smallest, at 13 per cent of those polled. Eight per cent of this group has a college education and they are twice as likely to read an online newspaper than a printed version.
The emergence of this group and the shift among integrators online led to an overall decline in the percentage of people who said they read a newspaper the day before.
About one-third of those younger than 25 said they get no news on a typical day, up from about 25 percent in 1998.
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* The 2008 biennial news consumption survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press was conducted by telephone - including both landline phones and cell phones - from April 30 to June 1 among 3,612 adults nationwide and has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
You may also be interested in these additional findings from Pew’s Survey Report:
While 30% of Net-Newsers regularly watch news online, 19% regularly listen to news on the web. Fewer than half watch television news on a typical day. Twice as many read an online newspaper than a printed newspaper on a typical day, while 10% read both. Net-Newsers and Integrators also rely on news and political blogs as a part of their news diet.
To read the full report, go to http://people-press.org/report/444/news-media
HEADLINE NEWS
Editors choose or write news headlines that they think will appeal to their readers or viewers. The results of this news consumption survey made, but the headlines varied even for the same Associated Press report. For example, the San Diego Union-Tribune, a newspaper with a liberal bias, selected to headline this finding: “The group that relies most on the Internet for news is the youngest at a median age of 35” (Paragraph 8) > Under-35s lead the shift into online news.
QuickWriting & Networking
· Re-read the first three paragraphs of the Associated Press news report published in this newspaper and many newspapers across the country and try writing two headlines with a different emphasis.
· Join a group of 4 or 5 students to discuss the results of the questionnaire in your classroom community and compare with survey findings. Compare also the news headlines you wrote. Perhaps select one or two from your group to share with the whole class.
Discuss the difference in emphasis in each of these headlines:
Under-35s lead the shift into online news
American increasing online news consumption
Survey Shows TV is Still Main News Source
How does each headline reflect a point of view? How would your initial reader response have been affected if you had initially read the third headline instead of the first or second? Continue your discussion.
Next, compare a finding from the Pew Survey (August 2008) with results from a different poll conducted 10 months later.
Survey Shows TV is Still Main News Source
Pew Survey
Web beats TV, radio as preferred news source
Poll finds nearly 40 percent believe Internet is most reliable news outlet
MSNBC.com
June 17, 2009
NEW YORK - The Internet is by far the most popular source of information and the preferred choice for news ahead of television, newspapers and radio, according to a new poll in the United States.
But just a small fraction of U.S. adults considered social Web sites such as Facebook and MySpace as a good source of news and even fewer would opt for Twitter.
More than half of the people questioned in the Zogby Interactive survey said they would select the Internet if they had to choose only one source of news, followed by 21 percent for television and 10 percent for both newspapers and radio.
Only 10 percent described social Web sites as an important for news, and despite the media buzz about Twitter, only 4 percent would go to it for information.
The Internet was also selected as the most reliable source of news by nearly 40 percent of adults, compared to 17 percent who opted for television and 16 percent who selected newspapers and 13 percent for listened to the radio.
"The poll reinforces the idea that efforts by established newspapers, television and radio news outlets to push their consumers to their respective Web sites is working," Zogby said in a statement.
Almost half of 3,030 adults questioned in the online survey said national newspaper Web sites were important to them, followed by 43 percent who preferred television Web sites.
Blogs were less of a necessity than Web sites, with only 28 percent of those polled saying blogs that shared their political viewpoint were important.
"That the Web sites of traditional news outlets are seen by a wide margin as more important than blog sites — most of which are repositories of opinion devoid of actual reportage — could be seen as an encouraging development for the media at large," Zogby added.
When asked to peer into the future, an overwhelming 82 percent said the Internet would be the main source of information in five years time, compared to 13 for television and 0.5 percent chose newspapers.
About 84 percent of American have access to the Internet, according to industry studies.
Copyright 2009 Reuters; Copyright 2009 MSNBC.com
Questions for Re-Reading & Reflecting
1. Did both polls include about the same number of adults?
2. According to the survey conducted by Pew Research, 43% of the public relied on TV as a news source. How does this figure compare to the findings of a poll conducted by Zogby 10 months later?
3. How was each survey conducted? Do you think the differences skewed the results or do you think the results reflect a trend and “the Internet will be the main source of information in five years time”?
4. According to this more recent survey conducted by Zogby Interactive, “Only 10 percent described social Web sites as an important for news, and despite the media buzz about Twitter, only 4 percent would go to it for information.” Take a quick poll in your Networking group. Do you think social websites are “important for news”? Do you go to Twitter for breaking news?
Now add to your survey two questions related to a possible news source that Pew Research did not consider in its 2008 survey:
Do you ever watch either of these satirical news-oriented television programs?
_The Colbert Report _The Daily Show with Jon Stewart _No
Do you think programs like these two Comedy Central shows that feature news reports with a comic twist are replacing traditional news outlets? _Yes _No
Do you think they are helping Americans stay informed about current events? _Yes _No
You can answer on the back of your survey or raise your hand. Tally the results for your classroom community. Hold off discussion until you read about some findings from another poll (March 2009) published in the Huffington Post, an Internet newspaper launched in 2005 as an alternative to conservative news aggregators like the Drudge Report.
Young Americans See Colbert, Stewart Replacing Traditional News Outlets: Poll
The Huffington Post | Megan Slack | March 25, 2009 08:22 AM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/25/young-americans-see-colbe_n_178884.html
Bottom of Form
A new poll released Wednesday by Rasmussen Reports* found that about one-third of Americans under the age of 40 believe that shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are replacing "traditional" news outlets.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Thirty percent (30%) of those ages 18-29 say programs like the two Comedy Central shows that feature news reports with a comic twist are replacing traditional news outlets....and nearly 39 percent of adults say shows like Stewart's and Colbert's are helping Americans stay informed about current events, and around 21 percent say the shows are "at least somewhat influential in shaping their political opinions."
How do the results of the poll in your classroom community compare to these results?
__________________________________________
Join the conversation!
Do Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert Report the News?
1 in 3 Americans under 40 believes satirical reporting is taking the place of traditional news
Posted March 26, 2009
According to this recent poll, "Nearly one-third of Americans under the age of 40 say satirical news-oriented television programs like The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart are taking the place of traditional news outlets." The report goes on to state: "Younger Americans also tend to think the programs make them more informed about news events, while older adults are more skeptical."
What do you think? Does Comedy Central report the news or does it make fun of it? Is it possible to do both? Post your thoughts.
Reader Comments - One Reader’s Response - Yes Jon Stewart does an amazing job of reporting about the reporting of the news. By showing various media outlets form of frivolous questions or chatter he truly shows us how rediculous cable news become. Yes good reporting does occur, but there is a lot a noise, and Stewart makes fun of that noise. Along the way he actually informs his audience of whats going on... and shows us how the media plays with the topics of the day. It is entertaining, informative, smart, and at times he is quite poignant and passionate about the issues. Thank Goodness for the Daily show ---- I hope they continue to watch over mainstream media and deliver the news (with there fun/satirical/critical slant!). Jon Stewart Rocks. Samya of FL, Mar 27, 2009 01:29:31 AM
QuickWriting & Networking - You can Join the Conversation! by QuickWriting for five minutes (writing quickly what comes to mind followed by live discussion). If you have a classroom blog or your own blog or access to some kind of electronic discussion, you can use that space. You could also micro-blog a very brief response using Twitter. What is important is that you express yourself in writing to prompt discussion.
A Drug Story: Cheerios?
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BREAKING NEWS....BREAKING NEWS....BREAKING NEWS....
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
The FDA is challenging medical claims made by Cheerios—yet they still allow Fruity Pebbles to say it’s a food?
The Colbert Report , June 2, 2009
http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=229435
CHEERIOS CAN REDUCE YOUR CHOLESTEROL!
Perhaps you first learned this breaking news from watching The Colbert Report on Comedy Central (Fact + Comic Twist). To Learn More, perhaps you searched online for news reports and online discussions.
HEADLINE NEWS
FDA: Don't Advertise Cheerios as a Drug
ABC NEWS, May 13, 2009
FDA Blasts General Mills Over Cheerios Claim
wcbstv.com, May 13, 2009
Cheerios Are a Drug? FDA's Surprising Letter to General Mills
alternet.org, May 13, 2009
Feds rap General Mills over Cheerios claim
StarTribune.com, May 12, 2009
FDA Warns General Mills: Cheerios Is a Drug
Wall Street Journal’s health blog, May 12, 2009
Cereal is a drug, US food watchdog says
Module body
Tue May 12, 6:28 PM
Yahoo! News Canada
US objects to General Mills' Cheerios health claims
Reuters, May 12, 2009 11:47am EDT *Reuters: one of the first international news agencies
Compare and contrast the headlines. Compare the verbs used in these reports:
FDA Blasts General Mills
Feds Rap General Mills
FDA Warns General Mills
Look these verbs up in a dictionary and select the meaning that fits this context. What impressions do these different verbs convey to you about the FDA’s action? Which verb is weakest in strength?
Rap: (Verb Transitive): to criticize or blame (sharply)
Blasts: to censure or criticize vigorously; denounce
Warns: to notify in advance
Which verb best fits the attitude conveyed in this headline?
FDA: Don't Advertise Cheerios as a Drug
What impression do the last two headlines used in news reports outside the U.S. convey?
Cereal is a drug, US food watchdog says
US objects to General Mills' Cheerios health claims
What difference does the use of “as” and “is” make in these headlines?
FDA: Don't Advertise Cheerios as a Drug
FDA Warns General Mills: Cheerios Is a Drug
Compare and contrast the different tone that comes across in the following two reports as a result of word choices:
According to General Mills, one in eight boxes of cereal sold in the United States is a box of Cheerios. The cereal debuted on the U.s. market in 1941. Yahoo! News Canada
For decades, a sunny yellow box of Cheerios has dominated breakfast tables across the nation.
ABC News
While both these news sources use “correct the violations,” a direct quote from the letter the FDA sent General Mills, how would you describe the different tone conveyed through differences in word choices?
...the FDA warned in its letter that if General Mills fails to “correct the violations” on its labels, boxes of Cheerios could disappear from supermarket and wholesale shelves around the United States and the company could face legal action. Yahoo! News Canada
The FDA warns that if General Mills doesn’t “correct the violations, it risks having its cheery-looking boxes seized by federal agents right off store shelves. ABC News
You can continue to compare and contrast these two news reports, included in full below.
___________________________________________________________________
Cereal is a drug, US food watchdog says
Module body
Tue May 12, 6:28 PM
Yahoo! News Canada http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/090512/health/health_us_food_medicine
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Popular US breakfast cereal Cheerios is a drug, at least if the claims made on the label by its manufacturer General Mills are anything to go by, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said.
Based on claims made on your product's label, we have determined that your Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug," the FDA said in a letter to General Mills which was posted on the federal agency's website Tuesday.
Cheerios labels claim that eating the cereal can help lower bad cholesterol, a risk factor for coronary heart disease, by four percent in six weeks.
Citing a clinical study, the product labels also claim that eating two servings a day of Cheerios helps to reduce bad cholesterol when eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, the FDA letter says.
Those claims indicate that Cheerios -- said by General Mills to be the best-selling cereal in the United States -- is intended to be used to lower cholesterol and prevent, lessen or treat the disease hypercholesterolemia, and to treat and prevent coronary heart disease.
"Because of these intended uses, the product is a drug," the FDA concluded in its letter.
Not only that, but Cheerios is a new drug because it has not been "recognized as safe and effective for use in preventing or treating hypercholesterolemia or coronary heart disease," the FDA said.
That means General Mills may not legally market Cheerios unless it applies for approval as a new drug or changes the way it labels the small, doughnut-shaped cereal, the FDA said.
General Mills defended the claims on Cheerios packaging, saying in a statement that Cheerios' soluble fiber heart health claim has been FDA-approved for 12 years, and that its "lower your cholesterol four percent in six weeks" message has been featured on the box for more than two years.
The FDA's quibble is not about whether Cheerios cereal is good for you but over "how the Cheerios cholesterol-lowering information is presented on the Cheerios package and website," said General Mills.
"We look forward to discussing this with FDA and to reaching a resolution."
Meanwhile, the FDA warned in its letter that if General Mills fails to "correct the violations" on its labels, boxes of Cheerios could disappear from supermarket and wholesaler shelves around the United States and the company could face legal action.
According to General Mills, one in eight boxes of cereal sold in the United States is a box of Cheerios. The cereal debuted on the US market in 1941.
Notice that the full headline in the ABC News report includes a subheading that gives General Mills’ initial response. Does this approach make a difference for readers?
FDA: Don't Advertise Cheerios as a Drug
Cheerios Maker General Mills Says FDA Warning Is Matter of Semantics
By JOHN PARKINSON and LEE FERRAN
ABC NEWS http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=7574156
May 13, 2009 —
For decades, a sunny yellow box of Cheerios has dominated breakfast tables across the nation. But this morning, the Food and Drug Administration warned the maker of the country's top-selling cereal to clean up its advertising.
The FDA said ads promoting Cheerios as a drug that can "lower your cholesterol 4 percent in six weeks" violates the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
The federal agency claims the language on the Cheerios box suggests the cereal is designed to prevent or treat heart disease. Regulators say that only FDA-approved drugs are allowed to make such claims.
The FDA warns that if General Mills doesn't "correct the violations," it risks having its cheery-looking boxes seized by federal agents right off store shelves.
In a letter to the chairman of General Mills, the FDA warned that the company's marketing tactics "cause [Cheerios] to be a drug because the product is intended for use in the prevention, mitigation and treatment of disease."
"Because of these intended uses, the product is a drug ..." the FDA states. "Therefore ... it may not be legally marketed with the above claims in the United States without an approved new drug application."
The letter claimed Cheerios is "misbranded" and that a Cheerios Web site, www.wholegrainnation.com, includes "unauthorized health claims" such as "Heart-healthy diets rich in whole grain foods can reduce the risk of heart disease."
The problem, the letter said, is that the FDA-approved claim must also state that the heart-healthy diet contains "high in fiber-containing fruit, vegetable and grain products. ..."
At the end of the letter, the FDA warned that offending boxes could be taken off the shelves.
"Enforcement action may include seizure of violative products and/or injunction against the manufacturers and distributors of violative products," it said.
FDA Claims Dispute Science or Semantics?
General Mills contended that the fuss is over a disagreement in semantics, not science, and that the health claims on Cheerios have been there for more than two years.
"The scientific body of evidence supporting the heart health claim was the basis for FDA's approval of the heart healthy claim, and the clinical study supporting Cheerios' cholesterol-lowering benefits is very strong," General Mills spokesman Tom Forsythe said in a statement. "The FDA is interested in how the Cheerios' cholesterol-lowering information is presented on the Cheerios package and Web site."
"We look forward to discussing this with the FDA and to reaching a resolution," the statement said.
Regardless of how it is advertised, nutritional experts told "Good Morning America" that whole-grain cereals like Cheerios are crucial to a healthy diet.
"Whole grains help combat high cholesterol because they're high in fiber," Health Magazine contributor Samantha Heller said. "They have vitamins, minerals, proteins, antioxidants. They're really the whole package."
The Cheerios' Web site, which offers a section dedicated to "heart healthy eating," includes a certification by the American Heart Association for products that "meet American Heart Association food criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol for healthy people over age 2."
Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures
Note: You can read the letter the FDA sent by following the link in the next news report. Continue to compare and contrast reports of this event.
_____________________________________________________________________
Feds rap General Mills over Cheerios claim
Bob Von Sternberg
StarTribune.com, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
May 12, 2009 http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/44785567.html?page=1&c=y
The Food and Drug Administration has rapped General Mills' corporate knuckles, telling it to quit promoting its flagship Cheerios cereal as a cholesterol fighter.
For its part, General Mills says the complaint is only about how Cheerios is promoted, and the FDA isn't questioning whether the cereal actually lowers cholesterol.
Specifically, the FDA says the company's claim that "you can lower your cholesterol 4 percent in six weeks" amount to marketing the cereal as a drug.
That claim, along with similar assertions about Cheerios' cancer-fighting and heart-healthy qualities, amount to "unauthorized health claims" and violate the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the agency said.
In a warning letter sent to Golden Valley-based General Mills a week ago, the local FDA office gave the company 15 days to explain how it will correct the violations.
Cheerios boxes state that Cheerios "is clinically proven to lower cholesterol. A clinical study showed that eating two 1 1/2-cup servings daily of Cheerios cereal reduced bad cholesterol ..."
Those claims make Cheerios "a drug within the meaning" of the federal law and "may not be legally marketed with the above claims in the United States without an approved new drug application, the agency wrote.
In a statement issued this morning, General Mills said the dispute with the FDA is more about language than science.
"Cheerios' soluble fiber heart health claim has been FDA-approved for 12 years, and Cheerios' 'lower your cholesterol 4 percent in six weeks' message has been featured on the box for more than 2 years. The science is not in question," the company said.
"The scientific body of evidence supporting the heart health claim was the basis for FDA's approval of the heart health claim, and the clinical study supporting Cheerios' cholesterol-lowering benefit is very strong.
"The FDA is interested in how the Cheerios cholesterol-lowering information is presented on the Cheerios package and website. We look forward to discussing this with FDA and to reaching a resolution."
According to General Mills, Cheerios is the nation's best-selling cereal, having been on the market since 1941.
As recently as last month, the company was touting Cheerios' cholesterol-busting abilities, saying new research shows that it can lower cholesterol by 10 percent in a month.
The scientific claims are widely discussed in the blogosphere, with some writers ridiculing General Mills. Cheerios "brings world peace in three months, too," one wrote.
One reader of this Minneapolis Star-Tribune news report posted a summary of the event for response on MinnPost.com—“ A Thoughtful Approach to News.” Read the summary, the responses that follow, and the original poster’s concluding comment.
FDA: Are Cheerios a drug or a breakfast cereal?
By Dan Haugen | Published Tue, May 12 2009 1:18 pm
MinnPost.com “A Thoughtful Approach to News”
www.minnpost.com/businessagenda/2009/05/12/8744/fda_are_cheerios_a_drug_or_a_breakfast_cereal
That's what General Mills will have to decide, following a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration accusing the company of misbranding the health benefits of eating Cheerios.
Cheerios packaging claims that eating Cheerios "can Lower Your Cholesterol 4% in 6 weeks." In order to make that type of claim, the cereal-maker will have to apply for approval as a new drug.
Food companies are not allowed to quantify the health benefits of their foods in marketing, the Associated Press reports.
The FDA letter also says the company's claim about whole-grain foods lowering the risk of heart disease is deceptive without the full, legally required context. Food packages must state that a diet with whole grains and fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.
A spokesman for General Mills tells the Associated Press that the science behind its Cheerios claims "is not in question" and that it will work with the FDA to make the language compliant. (More: Reuters, Star Tribune, Wall Street Journal)
Food | Tue, May 12 2009 1:18 pm | 5 Comments 5 Comment Comment
Comments
5 Comment: Hide/Show Comment
0 Comments:
(#1) On May 12, 2009, Author Editor Todd Pitman says:
http://mplsstpl.com
This is how I felt when Subway started marketing their sandwiches as a weight-loss method. Eh?
(#2) On May 12, 2009, Author Editor Justin Dessonville says:
http://www.iamdez.com
cheerios.com is now running a promotion that says "Cheerios helps lower cholesterol 10% in one month".
(#3) On May 12, 2009, Author Editor Mike Richardson says:
http://www.theprofessionaltourist.org
...but Todd, the problem comes when they make specific claims, like that it helps lower cholesterol 10% in one month. Did Subway do that? I don't think so...they definitely didn't here in Germany.
(#4) On May 12, 2009, Author Editor Erica Mauter says:
There are a bunch of different issues here.
1. If the Mills failed to respond to new legislation or regulations or even guidelines reflective of evolving industry practice, that's one thing. But they've been making similar claims about Cheerios forever. It could just be that a slight change in wording pushed the envelope a little too far. That's what I'm thinking happened here.
(1.5 Tangentially related: You'll note that baking soda has both Drug Facts and Nutrition Facts labeling on the box.)
2. There's an increasingly fuzzy line between food and pharmaceuticals. I'm not sure the regulatory environment has really caught up to it.
3. It could just be that the FDA is just finally getting around to it on their long to-do list and their chronically understaffed state.
A warning letter is the lowest level of regulatory action from the FDA, but it's no joke. They're not messing around.
I wonder if or how claims on the box differ from claims in advertising (e.g., a tv commercial).
As far as that whole grain thing, the legal definitions are appallingly lax. So, yeah, your whole grains in any puffed cereal are more likely "whole grains."
I take issue with this tossed in at the end of that Strib [Minneapolis Star-Tribune] story: "The scientific claims are widely discussed in the blogosphere, with some writers ridiculing General Mills. Cheerios 'brings world peace in three months, too,' one wrote." How is that helpful or substantive? He just wanted to rip off the punchline.
(BTW, I used to work at General Mills and now work at a pharma company.)
(#5) On May 12, 2009, Author Editor Dan Haugen says:
Erica, your second point is a great one, and timely. ...Thanks for the comments.
http://www.minnpost.com/businessagenda/2009/05/12/8744/fda_are_cheerios_a_drug_or_a_breakfast_cereal#comments_section
Read another news report and the first part of a response.
Cheerios Are a Drug? FDA's Surprising Letter to General Mills
By , Agence France Presse
Posted on May 13, 2009, Printed on June 8, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/story/139990/
Popular US breakfast cereal Cheerios is a drug, at least if the claims made on the label by its manufacturer General Mills are anything to go by, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said.
"Based on claims made on your product's label, we have determined that your Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug," the FDA said in a letter to General Mills which was posted on the federal agency's website Tuesday.
Cheerios labels claim that eating the cereal can help lower bad cholesterol, a risk factor for coronary heart disease, by four percent in six weeks.
Citing a clinical study, the product labels also claim that eating two servings a day of Cheerios helps to reduce bad cholesterol when eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, the FDA letter says.
Those claims indicate that Cheerios -- said by General Mills to be the best-selling cereal in the United States -- is intended to be used to lower cholesterol and prevent, lessen or treat the disease hypercholesterolemia, and to treat and prevent coronary heart disease.
"Because of these intended uses, the product is a drug," the FDA concluded in its letter.
Not only that, but Cheerios is a new drug because it has not been "recognized as safe and effective for use in preventing or treating hypercholesterolemia or coronary heart disease," the FDA said.
That means General Mills may not legally market Cheerios unless it applies for approval as a new drug or changes the way it labels the small, doughnut-shaped cereal, the FDA said.
General Mills defended the claims on Cheerios packaging, saying in a statement that Cheerios' soluble fiber heart health claim has been FDA-approved for 12 years, and that its "lower your cholesterol four percent in six weeks" message has been featured on the box for more than two years.
The FDA's quibble is not about whether Cheerios cereal is good for you but over "how the Cheerios cholesterol-lowering information is presented on the Cheerios package and website," said General Mills.
"We look forward to discussing this with FDA and to reaching a resolution."
Meanwhile, the FDA warned in its letter that if General Mills fails to "correct the violations" on its labels, boxes of Cheerios could disappear from supermarket and wholesaler shelves around the United States and the company could face legal action.
According to General Mills, one in eight boxes of cereal sold in the United States is a box of Cheerios. The cereal debuted on the US market in 1941.
© 2009 Agence France Presse All rights reserved.
72 posts - 5 authors - Last post: May 18
All Cheerios drug jokes aside, the important thing in this story is that the FDA, presumably at the behest of the pharmaceutical companies, ...
www.alternet.org/healthwellness/139990/cheerios_are_a_drug_fda's_surprising_letter_to_general_mills_/
Reflect
Why would the pharmaceutical industry be interested? QuickWrite for five minutes.
Discuss
Join a small group to discuss why the pharmaceutical industry would be interested in the claim in question being removed from boxes of Cheerios.
Learn More
Learn about cholesterol-reducing drugs on the market. Was there a drop in sales five or six months prior to FDA’s claim regarding Cheerios? Do some research individually and/or collaboratively and meet in a small group again to discuss your findings. How does what you learned affect your reading of this news event?
Read the beginning of this health blog:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FDA Warns General Mills: Cheerios Is a Drug
Wall Street Journal: wsj.com
Health Blog WSJ's blog on health and the business of health.
May 12, 2009, 12:03 PM ET
Jacob Goldstein
Hey, General Mills: If you want to say Cheerios is “clinically proven to lower cholesterol,” you better get your whole-grain Os approved as a new drug by the FDA....
Has General Mills crossed the line between food and pharmaceuticals? How do claims on a box of cereal differ from claims made in TV commercials? If Cheerios is “clinically proven to lower cholesterol,” should General Mills seek approval for Cheerios as a drug? Does the pharmaceutical industry have cause to be anxious about health claims made on boxes of Cheerios?
Join the Conversation! You can continue talking in a small group or participate in an online forum or blog. What’s really going on?
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