FDA: Don't Advertise Cheerios as a Drug

Cheerios Maker General Mills Says FDA Warning Is Matter of Semantics

By JOHN PARKINSON and LEE FERRAN
Abc News

For decades, a sunny yellow box of Cheerios has dominated breakfast tables across the nation. But this morning, the Food and Drug Administration warned the maker of the country's top-selling cereal to clean up its advertising.

The FDA said ads promoting Cheerios as a drug that can "lower your cholesterol 4 percent in six weeks" violates the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

The federal agency claims the language on the Cheerios box suggests the cereal is designed to prevent or treat heart disease. Regulators say that only FDA-approved drugs are allowed to make such claims.

The FDA warns that if General Mills doesn't "correct the violations," it risks having its cheery-looking boxes seized by federal agents right off store shelves. Read more...