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  4. Authorized Health Claims That Meet the Significant Scientific Agreement (SSA) Standard
  1. Nutrition, Food Labeling, and Critical Foods

Authorized Health Claims That Meet the Significant Scientific Agreement (SSA) Standard

Authorized health claims in food labeling are claims that have been reviewed by FDA and are allowed on food products or dietary supplements to show that a food or food component may reduce the risk of a disease or a health-related condition. Such claims are supported by scientific evidence and may be used on conventional foods and on dietary supplements to characterize a relationship between a substance (a specific food component or a specific food) and a disease or health-related condition (e.g., high blood pressure). The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 (NLEA) directed FDA to issue regulations providing for the use of health claims. All health claims must undergo review by the FDA through a petition process.

To be approved by the FDA as an authorized health claim, there must be significant scientific agreement (SSA) among qualified experts that the claim is supported by the totality of publicly available scientific evidence for a substance/disease relationship. The SSA standard is intended to be a strong standard that provides a high level of confidence in the validity of the substance/disease relationship.

To learn more about authorized health claims and qualified health claims, visit Questions and Answers: Authorized and Qualified Health Claims in Food Labeling.

More information on Qualified Health Claims


Guidance

Electronic Submissions

Approved Health Claims

Calcium, Vitamin D, and Osteoporosis

Dietary Lipids (Fat) and Cancer

Dietary Saturated Fat and Cholesterol and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease

Dietary Non-cariogenic Carbohydrate Sweeteners and Dental Caries

Fiber-containing Grain Products, Fruits and Vegetables and Cancer

Folic Acid and Neural Tube Defects

Fruits and Vegetables and Cancer

Fruits, Vegetables and Grain Products that contain Fiber, particularly Soluble fiber, and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease

Sodium and Hypertension

Soluble Fiber from Certain Foods and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease

Soy Protein and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease

Stanols/Sterols and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease

Denied Health Claims

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