Heart Health Claim for Soy Protein

In October of 1999 the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it had approved for the use of a health claim on food labels, on the relation between the consumption of soy protein and the reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Food products that contain at least 6.25g of soy protein per serving will be permitted to feature the following claim:

"25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. A serving of (name of food) supplies________ grams of soy protein."

The FDA examined the evidence from 53 clinical trials and took into account comments from the public and other interested parties before making their final decision. The FDA approval is an important endorsement of the overwhelming evidence that foods high in soy protein have major heart health benefits.

The FDA ruling recommends that people who want to lower their cholesterol levels and reduce their risk of heart disease should consume 25g of soy protein per day, which can be obtained by eating three to four serves per day of foods high in soy protein.

As a result of the FDA decision, the American Heart Association (AHA) experts announced the organisation's recommendation for consumers that they could lower their cholesterol and the risk of heart disease by eating more soy protein with its naturally occurring phytochemicals ¹² .

The FDA claim provides health professionals in Australia and New Zealand with another important weapon in the fight against heart disease.

In Australia and New Zealand, food companies are still prohibited from making any health claim on a product label. However, the agency responsible for regulating this, FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand, formerly the Australia New Zealand Food Authority), is reviewing the issue as a result of the pilot folate health claim, which has recently been evaluated.