08.19.2013
by Chris Kaiser
Cardiology Editor, MedPage Today
The American Heart Association’s endorsement — for a fee — of dozens of Campbell’s soups as “heart healthy” amounts to fraud, according to a lawsuit filed against the nonprofit heart organization and the soup giant.
The suit, brought by Kerry O’Shea of Huntington Beach, Calif., states that the use of the AHA’s “Heart-Check Mark” certification on more than 30 different types of canned soup “fools consumers” into thinking the soups meet the AHA’s heart-healthy nutritional guidelines.
A 2011 scientific advisory statement from the AHA recommended that salt intake be limited to 1,500 mg per day, yet “none of Campbell’s AHA-certified products meets [that] standard,” alleges the suit, which was filed in federal court in Camden, N.J., last week.
The soups in the company’s Healthy Request line, according to the lawsuit, contain 410 mg of sodium per serving, or between 820 and 1,025 mg per can, which “exceeds the AHA’s (and the FDA’s) low-sodium threshold of 140 mg of sodium per serving.”
The AHA states on its website that the FDA and the Department of Agriculture stipulate “food labels cannot claim a product is ‘healthy’ if it exceeds 480 mg of sodium per reference amount.”
An AHA spokesperson noted that it would be inappropriate to comment on pending litigation; however, the organization has consistently encouraged all Americans to eat a healthy, balanced diet, he said.
“We also encourage Americans to be informed consumers regarding their food choices by reading nutrition labels, being aware of portion sizes, and minimizing high-calorie/low-nutrition foods,” according to the spokesperson.
A spokesperson for the Campbell Soup Company said it is aware of the lawsuit and cannot comment on it right now. Nonetheless, the allegations are totally without merit, she said, adding that the company has full confidence in the accuracy of its labels and marketing communications, which are in compliance with all regulatory requirements.
The debate about the association of salt with high blood pressure or the effects of increased blood pressure due to sodium on cardiovascular health has reached a fevered pitch in the last few years. Some studies have found associations between salt and hypertension, others have not.
Even the Institute of Medicine (IOM) seems to be sending mixed signals. In 2010 the organization called for the FDA to regulate the amount of salt added to foods. But in May, the IOM concluded the evidence was insufficient to make any determination that lowering daily sodium intake below 2,300 mg per day is either harmful or helpful in terms of cardiovascular disease or death.
This is not the first time that a major heart organization has been embroiled in controversy regarding its stated mission and its association with corporate partners. In 2010, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute came under fire for allowing its logo — “The Heart Truth” — on cans of Diet Pepsi.
The NHLBI said at the time that Diet Coke did not pay money for use of the red dress logo. However, it acknowledged that Diet Coke had provided donations to the Foundation of the National Institutes of Health.
Last year, the fast-food chain Subway became the first restaurant to receive the Heart-Check Mark for certain menu items.