FDA ruling boosts barley claims

Food companies now will be able to say their products may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, based upon scientific evdience that it can lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). The rule allows companies such as Kraft Foods, Quaker Foods, and General Mills sell products with whole-grain barley or dry-milled barley products attach labels saying the products "may reduce the risk of heart disease."

Bonnie - barley can also be a digestive aid. My concern is that if barley (which contains gluten) is added to many foods, there will be more foods that gluten-intolerant individuals will need to avoid.

In addition, as these huge food companies have done in the past, they will attach the healthy labels to products that may contain barley, but also contain myriad ingredients that lessen or render barley's positive effects useless (such as added sugars, saturated fats, etc.). For instance, it would not surprise me to see Oreo's containing barley touting the heart-healthy effect. Stay tuned...