Some whole oat foods can carry "low fat" claim -FDA

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some foods made with whole oats, such as oatmeal, could soon claim to be "low fat" under a U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposal released on Monday.

The rule, a response to a petition from PepsiCo Inc's Quaker Oats Company, would modify current regulations that allow certain foods that contain soluble fiber to carry claims about heart benefits, the agency said.

Current FDA regulations allow certain oat products to claim that they can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. The fiber contained in oats, called beta-glucan soluble fiber, can help control cholesterol, the agency found.

But those regulations only applied to three types of oat products: oat bran, rolled oats or whole oat flour.

The FDA's decision, posted on its Web site at http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/06p-0069-npr0001.pdf , would expand regulations to allow a wider variety of foods made with whole oats to make the heart claim.

Although these foods exceed the amount of fat usually required for "low fat" foods, the fat comes from whole oat sources, the company said in its petition to the FDA.

"The petition stated that Quaker Oats Company's flavored, unmodified instant oatmeal products are eligible to bear the soluble fiber and CHD health claim, but flavored, reduced sugar instant oatmeal products are not because the latter products do not meet the nutrient content requirement... for 'low fat'," the FDA said.

Representatives for Quaker Oats could not be immediately reached for comment.

Shares of PepsiCo closed down 21 cents to $64.83 on Monday on the New York Stock Exchange.