Food label crackdown: FDA slams 17 companies over misleading consumers

After years of virtual silence about the labeling tricks food companies play on consumers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration came out with a loud and clear statement that it will start cracking down on misleading, or flat out wrong, labels.

FDA officials sent warning letters to 17 food manufacturers, telling them that 22 different products are in violation of federal law. On top of that, FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg, published an open letter to the food industry highlighting the importance of being honest with consumers.

"Today, ready access to reliable information about the calorie and nutrient content of food is even more important, given the prevalence of obesity and diet-related diseases in the United States," Hamburg wrote. "The use of front-of-pack nutrition symbols and other claims has grown tremendously in recent years, and it is clear to me as a working mother that such information can be helpful to busy shoppers who are often pressed for time in making their food selections."