Questionable food claims alluding to health and wellness have led to a crackdown by Food and Drug Administration officials. Seventeen producers received warning letters from the FDA admonishing them for making misleading claims about health and benefits on their food packaging.

Under current laws, companies that receive warnings have 15 days to respond with details about how they will fix the problematic labels.

Experts believe the warnings will control some of the tenuous health claims made on current food labels. The move follows the much stricter oversight European regulators place on food labeling.

Furthermore, it suggests trade and commerce regulators could also watch food marketers with a closer eye. Current food laws generally prohibit disease-fighting claims and outline permissible nutrient claims.

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