Dive Brief:
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Cranberry cooperative Ocean Spray has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to allow it to claim that cranberry products can prevent urinary tract infections in women, Capital Press reports.
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Ocean Spray does not want to claim that cranberry products can treat such infections, despite the fact that it is a widely held belief.
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The proposed claim stresses three studies that saw a 20% to 58% reduction in recurring infections among those who consumed cranberry products. The FDA has said it will make a decision by Oct. 5, and comments are open until May 7.
Dive Insight:
Ocean Spray aims to provide scientific backing to the purported benefits of cranberries and move them away from hearsay. Cranberry supplements are not under the FDA’s control, and many already make claims regarding urinary tract infections, so the proposed claim on food products is firmly in the public consciousness.
Health claims matter to consumers. More than three-quarters (77%) of adults use food labels to help them decide what to buy, according to the FDA's 2014 Health and Diet survey. Almost 9 in 10 consumers use health claims to make purchase decisions. Some studies have shown that consumers believe health claims even if they seem unlikely to be true, rating chips, candy and chocolate claiming added vitamins as healthier than those that don’t carry on-pack claims.
Ocean Spray has considerable marketing and research clout, and funded the largest study that is cited in this petition. Other research it has pursued includes spending $10 million over five years on researching cranberries’ antibacterial properties and exploring the potential for a prebiotic from cranberry skins, which could be a lucrative use for a waste product from cranberry juice manufacturing.
Even though cranberries are popular as juice, dried fruit snacks and Thanksgiving dinners, it makes sense that Ocean Spray is working to increase sales. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, last year's total cranberry harvest was expected to be just over 9 million barrels — a 6% drop from 2016. Consumers are willing to pay a premium for products that advertise more health benefits, helping out any farmers who might be hurting from production level drops.
Additionally, U.S. grown cranberries were at the top of the list of goods that would be subject to a retaliatory tariff in the European Union. President Trump temporarily exempted the European allies from his steep new tax for imported steel and aluminum while talks continue. Regardless of whether the EU tariff comes to pass, cranberry exports have increased 48% in the last six years. If the export market is hurt by other trade-related actions, growers would benefit from more reasons for consumers to buy their products at home.