Qualified health claim links oleic acid to reduced heart disease risk

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Nov. 19 said credible evidence supports a qualified health claim that consuming oleic acid in edible oils such as olive oil, sunflower oil or canola oil may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. The agency approved two qualified health claims for oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fat:

Supportive but not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that daily consumption of about 1½ tablespoons (20 grams) of oils containing high levels of oleic acid, when replaced for fats and oils higher in saturated fat, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. To achieve this possible benefit, oleic acid-containing oils should not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day. One serving of (x) oil provides (x) grams of oleic acid, which is (x) grams of monounsaturated fatty acid.
Supportive but not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that daily consumption of about 1½ tablespoons (20 grams) of oils containing high levels of oleic acid may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. To achieve this possible benefit, oleic acid-containing oils should replace fats and oils higher in saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day. One serving of (x) oil provides (x) grams of oleic acid, which is (x) grams of monounsaturated fatty acid.

Burdock Group Consultants filed the petition for a health claim on Oct. 27, 2016, on behalf of TerraVia Holdings, Inc. Corbion then acquired TerraVia in 2017, and now the business is known as Corbion Biotech. The petition identified edible oils that contain at least 70% of oleic acid per serving: high-oleic sunflower oil, high-oleic safflower oil, high-oleic canola oil, olive oil and high-oleic algal oil.

The qualified health claim is only for edible oils that contain at least 70% oleic acid per serving, according to the F.D.A. Two high-oleic soybean oil brands – Vistive Gold at 72% oleic acid per serving and Plenish at 75% oleic acid per serving – thus should meet the requirements for the qualified health claim.