FDA Threatens Suit Against Heart Assn. Food Label Program

The Food and Drug Administration threatened legal action today against an American Heart Assn. food labeling program, saying the program could mislead consumers.

The FDA said in a letter that the food-labeling program could be “risking regulatory action.” It said there is a “very real possibility that the FDA would find one or more foods under your program to be misbranded.”

Howard Lewis, a spokesman for the heart association, said the FDA might have the power to seize products carrying the labels.

The program, known as Heartguide, is an ambitious effort by the heart association to make consumers smarter shoppers by identifying products that meet heart association guidelines.