FDA will allow labels saying olive oil improves heart health, with a catch

The Food and Drug Administration will allow certain olive, sunflower, and canola oils to carry labels saying that their products could help to avoid heart disease, but only if they replace other types of fat in a person’s diet.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb cautioned in a blog post Monday that the evidence about the oils wasn’t yet conclusive, but called it “promising.” The government is allowing such health labels in the hopes that people will buy and eat more nutritious foods, driving down rates of chronic illnesses such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cancer.