FDA Tells Green Tea Manufacturers Not To Make Tall Claims

The US FDA has warned two green tea manufacturers against making unsubstantiated claims.

Makers of Lipton and the Canada Dry have both been rapped on the knuckles.

Consumer products giant Unilever’s Lipton unit splashes the trademarked phrase "Tea Can Do That" liberally on the health sections of its websites. On its Web page titled "Heart Health Research," Lipton says,

"Four recent studies in people at risk for coronary disease have shown a significant cholesterol lowering effect from tea or tea flavonoids ... One of these studies, on post-menopausal women, found that total cholesterol was lowered by 8% after drinking 8 cups of green tea daily for 12 weeks ...." Lipton says with regard to its Green Tea 100% Natural, Naturally Decaffeinated.

The FDA is now warning Lipton, "The therapeutic claims on your website establish that the product is a drug because it is intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease. Your Lipton Green Tea 100% Natural Naturally Decaffeinated product is not generally recognized as safe and effective for the above referenced uses and, therefore, the product is a "new drug" under section 201(p) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 321(p)]. New drugs may not be legally marketed in the U.S. without prior approval from FDA as described in section 505(a) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 355(a)]. FDA approves a new drug on the basis of scientific data submitted by a drug sponsor to demonstrate that the drug is safe and