Washington, DC — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced new guidelines for manufacturers wishing to categorize their foods as ‘healthy’, to help consumers make well-informed food choices. Within these new guidelines, Avocados from Peru qualify as a ‘healthy’ food due to their predominant makeup of monounsaturated fats.
Avocados are a phenomenal source of monounsaturated fats – good fats that are known to help lower cholesterol. The FDA’s new guidelines for the classification of ‘healthy’ fats will, therefore, include these superfoods, providing a well-deserved classification for one of Peru’s most successful exports. Avocados also provide nearly 20 important vitamins and minerals necessary for a healthy diet.
“It is extremely exciting to see the FDA take this step forward to recognize the value of good fats, such as those found in avocados, in a healthy diet,” said Xavier Equihua, President & CEO of the Peruvian Avocado Commission. “Avocados from Peru have long been recognized as a superfood, and the FDA’s new guidelines make it even clearer for Americans to understand the value of avocados as part of a healthy diet. We have therefore begun incorporating “healthy” in all of our promotional materials and campaigns and modifying our Superfood Nutrition slogan to Superfood Nutrition and Health.”
The new guidance from the FDA reflects a commitment to creating public health regulations based on evolving science about nutrition and health, including the types of fats in a healthy, balanced diet. For more information, or to submit a comment to the FDA on the new guidelines: http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/ucm521690.htm.
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About the Peruvian Avocado Commission
The Peruvian Avocado Commission (PAC) is headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was established in 2011 to increase the consumption/demand for Avocados from Peru through advertising, retail promotion and public relations. The PAC’s promotional activities are conducted under the guidelines of the federal promotion program for Hass avocados, which is under the oversight of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
For more information about the PAC, please visit www.avocadosfromperu.com.
Source: Peruvian Avocado Commission