It's commonly known as taking a known claim in science and using it to their advantage. We know unsaturated fats are better for you than saturated, so margarine is better for you than butter. They use this to their advantage and claim it helps with heart disease, but they don't tell you they are making the assumption you are eating lots of butter usually. It IS misleading because you may not normally eat butter and think "oh, if I eat lots of this then my heart disease will be improved".
Nothing in the UK is allowed to contain trans fats, have the FDA done the same thing there?
Just curious, how does Cheeros breakfast cereal advertise their product to lower cholesterol without establishing some evidence or proof. It seems the FDA would interact to the false advertising and inform the public. I know some over the counter medication (herbs, etc.) aren't approved by the FDA and advertise their product, but for a food product that should abide by different regulations....truth in labeling, etc.
The Flora "pro.activ" Cholesterol reducing product contains plant sterols which they claim block up to 40% the absorption of cholesterol into the blood stream. This has never been studied or proven so until then it is just conjecture.
Jon
A lot of food products from cereal to margarine to special vitamin blends claim to lower cholesterol. Generally they don't make a big change in levels. I would guess they just don't make it worse like eating a giant bacon cheese burger. And remember, our bodies make cholesterol so not all of it comes from food and not all the margarine and cereal in the world can give us perfect numbers.