Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into major food manufacturers that market products as heart-healthy despite what his office describes as evidence to the contrary, according to an Aug. 3 news release from the Office of the Attorney General.
The investigation targets one of the most familiar symbols in the grocery aisle. Since 1995, the American Heart Association’s red heart-and-checkmark symbol has served as shorthand for consumers seeking heart-healthy choices, appearing on products from snack foods to cooking oils, and many companies have adopted similar labeling, the release stated.
The attorney general’s office contends that mounting evidence suggests many products carrying such labels fall short of the promise consumers rely on, arguing that some heart-healthy-labeled snacks are packed with added sugars, refined grains, and what the office called inflammatory properties. The release said labels often highlight the absence of a single ingredient, such as cholesterol or sodium, while masking other additives, and pointed to products including Mazola Canola Oil and Sun Chips as examples the office says are high in omega-6 fatty acids.
“I won’t allow corporations to slap a ‘heart healthy’ symbol on their food labels as an attempt to market seed oils and other chemical-filled foods as healthy,” Paxton said in the release. “I am committed to Making America Healthy Again, and this is another piece of that broad effort to protect Texans’ health and well-being.”
As part of the investigation, Paxton issued Civil Investigative Demands to food manufacturers that use heart-healthy labeling, with companies under investigation so far including Frito Lay, Flora Food Group, and ACH Foods, according to the release. The office will examine whether the companies’ advertising practices violate the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by misrepresenting the health value of their products to Texas consumers.
The release noted that cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming nearly 18 million lives annually, and that diet is widely recognized as one of the most significant modifiable factors in heart health — stakes the office cited as the investigation moves forward.