Washington, May 12 - General Mills made unauthorized health claims about the heart-related benefits of its Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal, U.S. regulators said in a letter released on Tuesday.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it considered language about cholesterol-lowering on Cheerios boxes to be unapproved drug claims. The language did not qualify under the government's approved claims associating fiber from whole grain oats with reduced risk of heart disease, the May 5 letter said.
General Mills officials were not immediately available for comment.