Labels on Many Protein Bars Are High on Claims, 
Low on Facts Say Consumer Groups

NCL and CFA Urge FDA to Take a Bite Out of Misleading Labels

            WASHINGTON, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) today called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to continue its scrutiny of select manufacturers of “high protein, low carbohydrate” bars that routinely mislead consumers about the ingredients’ nutritional content. The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) joined NCL in this call.

In a joint letter sent to the FDA, the consumer groups expressed concern that many “high protein, low carbohydrate” bars contain unauthorized nutrient content claims and violate multiple labeling requirements. The consumer advocates are urging the FDA to order manufacturers to correct these problems.

            “Consumers who rely on protein bars for their nutritional value are being misled by these manufacturers. Nutrition information on the labels, in many cases, has little in common with the actual nutrient content,” said Linda Golodner, president of NCL. “It is imperative that the Food and Drug Administration take action to protect consumers and force manufacturers to correct misleading labels.”

The groups note in the letter that many of the products, including Met-Rx Keto Pro, Met-Rx Protein Plus, and Worldwide Sport Nutrition Pure Protein bars, claim they are “high protein,” but do not provide a percent Daily Value for protein. Moreover, many manufacturers use various tricks to significantly understate their products’ carbohydrate content. Consumers can recognize these bars by the low-carbohydrate claim that is found on the front of the package. Several products, such as The Atkins Diet Advantage, do not include glycerin in their declaration of “total carbohydrates.” Some products also omit sugar alcohols and other ingredients from their total carbohydrate declaration.

“This is particularly galling for products promoted as ‘low carbohydrate,’” the letter states. Some of these products only qualify as being low in carbohydrates because they are falsely labeled.

            The groups noted that these bars have grown in popularity as an increasing number of time-starved consumers are seeking quick meals. Others are trying to lose weight on high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets.

The joint NCL and CFA letter also raises concern about the “high protein, low carbohydrate” diets themselves. These diets have become popular in recent years, but there is little research that supports their effectiveness, the consumer groups said.

“When labeling violations exploit the popularity of fad diets, as is the case with some protein bars, the argument for enforcement action is stronger,” said Art Jaeger, assistant director of CFA. “The FDA exists to protect consumers and, as consumer advocates, we see our role in calling FDA’s attention to this important issue.” 

            The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America's pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to identify, protect, represent, and advance the economic and social interests of consumers and workers. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

            CFA was founded in 1968 to advance the consumer interest though advocacy and education. It is an association of more than 270 pro-consumer groups. Most are national state and local consumer advocacy and education groups.

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