Soy Growers Respond to FDA Action on Heart Health Claim

The American Soybean Association (ASA) issued a statement Monday in response to indications from the Food and Drug Administration that the agency will revoke the unqualified health claim regarding soy protein and coronary heart disease (CHD). ASA President and Illinois farmer Ron Moore reiterated the ability of soy protein to contribute to heart health:

“In a time when heart disease is the number one cause of death both in the United States and the world, we can’t afford to discourage people from taking steps to improve their diets with heart-healthy ingredients. There is still evidence that shows eating soy protein can help reduce the risk of heart disease, and while we are of course disappointed that FDA is looking at moving the health claim for these products from ‘unqualified’ to ‘qualified,’ it’s important for consumers to remember that soy protein can be an important part of a heart-healthy diet. Even in today’s announcement, FDA still refers customers to the agency’s 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines, which state that healthy eating patterns include soy beverages and a variety of protein foods, including soy products. Moving forward, we hope that in its upcoming reevaluation of the available data, FDA will focus on the many studies that show the heart-healthy benefits of a diet that includes soy protein.”