Are tart cherries, cranberries ‘healthy’ to eat?

The nation’s tart cherry and cranberry producers are fighting back against a proposed overhaul by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that makes sweeping changes to the classifications of certain foods, including these nutrient dense fruits.

Utah is No. 2 in the nation for the volume of its tart cherry production, growing 33 million pounds annually. Michigan is No. 1. Five states in the nation are primarily the leading cranberry producers, with Wisconsin on top with about 60% of the nation’s production in an industry valued in that state alone at a billion dollars. Both fruits are important economic drivers for states and — despite what labeling requirements may come with this proposal — are tasty fruit.

“These tart cherries have many health benefits when consumed. Tart cherries are excellent sources of fiber, vitamins A and C, and antioxidants. Tart cherries, however, are not naturally sweet, and sugar must be added for most consumers to find them palatable,” wrote Terry Camp, vice president of public policy for the Utah Farm Bureau Federation.

“Unfortunately, this proposed rule is written in such a way that a tart cherry product containing less added sugar than the naturally occurring sugar in another fruit product would preclude the tart cherry from carrying the “healthy”label, while the product with more sugar would be labeled “healthy.” he emphasized during his statement during the public comment period.

Blake Ellsworth, chair of the Utah Tart Cherry Marketing Board, wrote in his comments that red tart cherries are suggested as having certain associated health benefits such as impacts on gout, arthritis, muscle recovery after exercise as well as benefits for heart health.

Since many of the cherries are dried for downstream market use in other products and the cherries are used in juice and pies, the marketing board estimates that as much as 75% of tart cherry industry’s sales to customers and to food manufacturers will or could be impacted should the FDA actually implements its plan to assert that “added sugar” is not “healthy.”

Ellsworth pointed out that unlike the FDA overhaul being proposed, the U. S. Department of Agriculture treats added sugars differently, noting that added sugars can help nutrient dense foods via preservation, browning, texture and viscosity. In addition, the added sugar increases palatability.

“It is incongruous that one branch of the government, the Food and Drug Administration, concludes that adding sugars to fruit products renders them not “healthy” while another branch of the government, the USDA, recognizes that the addition of sugars is understandable if not beneficial,” Ellsworth wrote in his comments on the proposal.

“The United State government should not be sending different health messages to consumer, producers, handlers and end users of red tart cherries, in particular, and to other fruit products, in general.”

All members of Utah’s congressional delegation were among 29 signatories to a letter urging reconsideration of the proposal because it discourages the consumption of nutrient-rich cranberry and tart cherry products.

Other foods impacted

Although tart cherries and cranberries are proposed for addition to the “naughty” list, salmon will get its due because it has long been denied the label of healthy due to it fat content. Its omega 3 fatty acids are essential because our own bodies do not produce them. In fact, some studies suggest omega 3 fatty acids are linked to improved cardiovascular health.

The problem with U.S. diets

According to the FDA proposal, more than two-thirds of U.S. adults and nearly one-third of children and youth are overweight or obese — something that has persisted for more than two decades and with high cost.

According to the Government Accountability Office, in 2018, $383.6 billion was spent to treat cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, making up 25% of the approximately $1.5 trillion in total health care spending on conditions among U.S. adults.

These grim numbers stem from bad diets. In 2019, 42% of adolescents and 39% of adults said they ate fruit less than once a day, while 41% of adolescents and 21% of adults said they ate vegetables less than once a day. At the same time, most Americans exceed the recommended intake limits for added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium, nutrients that should be limited in a healthy dietary pattern according to the Dietary Guidelines, 2020-2025.

Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and stroke are among the leading causes of death and disability in the United States, and half of all American adults have one or more preventable, diet-related chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.

The sweeping overhaul updates guidelines from 1994, with a final decision expected to be reached in September.