FDA nixes ads for tomato benefits

Producers of tomatoes, tomato sauce and dietary supplements containing lycopene – the substance that makes tomatoes red – will not be allowed to advertise claims that they reduce the risk of many forms of cancer, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday.

But companies will be able to suggest a limited link between tomatoes and a lowered risk of prostate cancer, the agency said.

The FDA also rejected proposals to advertise lycopene alone, available in supplements, as having cancer-related benefits. The rulings were in response to petitions from various food and supplement companies.