"Consuming More Than 2 Cups a Week Reduces Diabetes Risk"… FDA-Recognized Food

Approval for the title "Yogurt May Reduce the Risk of Diabetes"

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed yogurt products to include claims that "consuming yogurt reduces the risk of diabetes."

Yogurt. [Image source=Getty Images]

On the 1st (local time), major foreign media including The Washington Post reported that the FDA partially approved a petition for a "Qualified Health Claim (QHC)" submitted by the French food company Danone regarding yogurt products. Therefore, yogurt manufacturers can label their products with statements such as "Regularly consuming at least 2 cups of yogurt per week may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes." This applies not only to Danone but also to yogurt products made by other food companies. However, it does not apply to non-dairy yogurts made from almonds, coconut, soy, and other ingredients.

Previously, in 2018, Danone submitted a QHC petition requesting permission to state that yogurt reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, citing increasingly persuasive scientific evidence. The FDA reportedly reviewed 117 related studies. In the approval letter sent to Danone, the FDA stated, "Based on the scientific evidence and information submitted with the petition, as well as other relevant evidence and information, it is appropriate to consider a QHC for yogurt consumption and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes," but emphasized, "However, the QHC statement must be appropriately worded to avoid consumer misunderstanding."

Research suggesting that yogurt is beneficial for diabetes has existed for some time. In 2014, a study by Professor Frank Hu and his team at Harvard University's Department of Public Health was published in the international journal Circulation, issued by the American Heart Association (AHA). They reported that "people who consume more yogurt can prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes." The research, which tracked the dietary habits of about 200,000 people, found that consuming approximately 28 grams (two spoons) of yogurt daily reduced the incidence of type 2 diabetes by about 18%.

However, yogurt with high sugar content may actually increase the risk of diabetes. The FDA added, "Yogurt with a significant amount of added sugar is a food with no nutritional value and high calories," and cautioned that claims related to diabetes should be carefully considered when labeling high-sugar yogurts.

Meanwhile, QHC is a system that allows food companies to advertise or label certain foods or ingredients as effective in preventing specific diseases when partial evidence supports such claims. However, it is a lower grade than "Authorized Health Claims (AHC)," which are scientifically proven with rigorous evidence. In other words, QHC approval means "there is scientific evidence, but it cannot be conclusively stated." In this case, yogurt companies must avoid definitive expressions when promoting yogurt consumption and its relationship to diabetes and must include related disclaimers, among other restrictions.