Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced an investigation into major food manufacturers for marketing products as “heart-healthy,” alleging that the label is misleading to consumers.
The investigation was launched Monday and alleges that many of the foods carrying the “heart-healthy” symbol are actually “Trojan horses” that do not meet the standard.
Since 1995, the American Heart Association’s symbol of a heart with a checkmark has made it easy for consumers “to spot heart-healthy foods in the grocery store.”
According to Paxton’s office, several companies “have adapted other ‘heart-healthy’ labelling that bears a similar resemblance.” However, according to “mounting evidence,” many fall short of the standard promise that consumers rely on and instead serve as “Trojan horses packed with added sugars, refined grains, and inflammatory properties.”
These labels, according to Paxton, are “notoriously misleading,” as they often focus on the absence of one particular “bad” ingredient and do not take into account any other harmful additives.
Mazola Canola Oil and Sun Chips were given as examples of products that carry the “heart-healthy” label, but in reality they contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, GMO corn, natural flavors, and other additives.
Some of the companies under investigation are Frito-Lay, Flora Food Group, and ACH Foods.
“I won’t allow corporations to slap a ‘heart-healthy’ symbol on their food labels as an attempt to market seed oils and other chemical-filled foods as healthy,” said Paxton. “I have seen that many products with this ‘heart-healthy’ label can actually impair heart function.”
“I am committed to Making America Healthy Again, and this is another piece of that broad effort to protect Texans’ health and well-being.”
Paxton has issued Civil Investigative Demands to companies that are using the “heart-healthy” label as part of the investigation to determine whether the advertising practices of these companies violate the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by “misrepresenting the health value of their products to Texas consumers.”
