Guest guest Posted January 10, 2003 Report Share Posted January 10, 2003 During an earlier discussion this month, and last year, there were several comments about relying on labelling to determine whether your calcium measurement was in elemental or total weight. My experience has been that the labelling may not state elemental, when it actually is (several of the sites I read note that the standard dosage/weight is always considered elemental, which may be why many companies don't identify it.) In any event, I am loving my products, so checked with the manuacturer, since their label does not specify. They confirmed that the weight is elemental, even though the label does not specify that. I am not taking the extra step of sending it a lab for analysis Kate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2003 Report Share Posted January 10, 2003 In a message dated 1/10/03 5:30:10 PM Central Standard Time, kateseidel@... writes: << checked with the manuacturer, since their label does not specify. They confirmed that the weight is elemental, even though the label does not specify that. >> ------------------------------------- Whether you get a correct answer to this question depends, I think, on how you ask it and how knowledgeable the person is on the other end of the line. If you say " is your calcium all elemental? " or " 100% elemental " you are likely to just get a " yes " answer. However, if you ask what percentage is elemental, the co rep either knows what you're talking about or has to go ask someone who knows. I rely strictly on labeling that states " AS calcium citrate. " I know if I see that on there, the mg's listed are elemental. Carol A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2003 Report Share Posted January 14, 2003 In a message dated 1/14/2003 4:28:53 PM Pacific Standard Time, ray@... writes: > Title 21 Section 101.36(2)(A) states that: > > A label that does not state the amount of calcium, which is a > ((2)-dietary ingredient, in elemental form is mislabeled and in > violation of FDA Regulations. > Not sure what the point of this was, but if a company is complying with the regulation and stating the amount of elemental calcium, I'm not clear that they have to print " elemental calcium " on the label. If a company is stating a total weight, rather than the elemental calcium weight, then it sounds like they would be in violation. Kate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2003 Report Share Posted January 14, 2003 Title 21 Section 101.36(2)(A) states that: " The names and the quantitative amounts by weight of each ((2)- dietary ingredient shall be presented under the heading ``Amount Per Serving.'' " A label that does not state the amount of calcium, which is a ((2)-dietary ingredient, in elemental form is mislabeled and in violation of FDA Regulations. Ray Hooks For WLS nutrition info, visit http://www.bariatricsupplementsystem.com kateseidel@... wrote: > > During an earlier discussion this month, and last year, there were several comments about relying on labelling to determine whether your calcium measurement was in elemental or total weight. My experience has been that the labelling may not state elemental, when it actually is (several of the sites I read note that the standard dosage/weight is always considered elemental, which may be why many companies don't identify it.) > > In any event, I am loving my products, so checked with the manuacturer, since their label does not specify. They confirmed that the weight is elemental, even though the label does not specify that. > > I am not taking the extra step of sending it a lab for analysis > > Kate > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 15, 2003 Report Share Posted January 15, 2003 There is one company that whose Supplement Facts information box states " Calcium Citrate 1000 mg 100% [DV]. " This statement misleads the consumer into thinking they are getting 1000 mg of calcium which would be 100% DV. Since there is no DV for calcium citrate, the claim of 100% DV is false and misleading. The quantitative statement of the amount of a ((2)-dietary ingredient must be either the name of the dietary ingredient by itself, i.e., " calcium " , the name of the ((2)-dietary ingredient followed by the compound form in parenthesis, i.e., " calcium(citrate), or the name of the ((2)-dietary ingredient followed by a comma and then the name of the compound form, i.e., " calcium, citrate. " If the label claim is simply " calcium citrate xxx mg xx% DV " , then it is mislabeled. A company that labels its product 500 mg calcium citrate does so to make the consumer think that it contains 500 mg calcium, which it does not. It is definitely illegal to make this type of label claim, but FDA enforcement tends to be lax. Ray Hooks For WLS nutrition info, visit http://www.bariatricsupplementsystem.com kateseidel@... wrote: > > In a message dated 1/14/2003 4:28:53 PM Pacific Standard Time, > ray@... writes: > > > Title 21 Section 101.36(2)(A) states that: > > > > A label that does not state the amount of calcium, which is a > > ((2)-dietary ingredient, in elemental form is mislabeled and in > > violation of FDA Regulations. > > > > Not sure what the point of this was, but if a company is complying with the > regulation and stating the amount of elemental calcium, I'm not clear that > they have to print " elemental calcium " on the label. > > If a company is stating a total weight, rather than the elemental calcium > weight, then it sounds like they would be in violation. > > Kate > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 15, 2003 Report Share Posted January 15, 2003 Okay, I am now totally confused. It was my understanding that we were suppose to be looking for the calcium citrate instead of the calcium carbonate that is in things like Tums. So, could you please explain what are we suppose to look for. It really does not help me in selecting a good calcium supplement when all I know is what not to look for. Lori Owen - Denton, Texas CHF 4/14/01 479 lbs. SRVG 7/16/01 401 lbs. Current Weight 339.5 lbs. and loosing again Dr. Ritter/Dr. Bryce On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 16:07:54 -0600 Ray Hooks ray@...> writes: > There is one company that whose Supplement Facts information box > states > " Calcium Citrate 1000 mg 100% [DV]. " This statement misleads > the > consumer into thinking they are getting 1000 mg of calcium which > would > be 100% DV. Since there is no DV for calcium citrate, the claim of > 100% > DV is false and misleading. The quantitative statement of the > amount of > a ((2)-dietary ingredient must be either the name of the dietary > ingredient by itself, i.e., " calcium " , the name of the > ((2)-dietary > ingredient followed by the compound form in parenthesis, i.e., > " calcium(citrate), or the name of the ((2)-dietary ingredient > followed > by a comma and then the name of the compound form, i.e., " calcium, > citrate. " If the label claim is simply " calcium citrate xxx mg > xx% > DV " , then it is mislabeled. A company that labels its product 500 > mg > calcium citrate does so to make the consumer think that it contains > 500 > mg calcium, which it does not. It is definitely illegal to make > this > type of label claim, but FDA enforcement tends to be lax. > > Ray Hooks > For WLS nutrition info, visit > http://www.bariatricsupplementsystem.com > > kateseidel@... wrote: > > > > In a message dated 1/14/2003 4:28:53 PM Pacific Standard Time, > > ray@... writes: > > > > > Title 21 Section 101.36(2)(A) states that: > > > > > > A label that does not state the amount of calcium, which is a > > > ((2)-dietary ingredient, in elemental form is mislabeled and > in > > > violation of FDA Regulations. > > > > > > > Not sure what the point of this was, but if a company is complying > with the > > regulation and stating the amount of elemental calcium, I'm not > clear that > > they have to print " elemental calcium " on the label. > > > > If a company is stating a total weight, rather than the elemental > calcium > > weight, then it sounds like they would be in violation. > > > > Kate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 15, 2003 Report Share Posted January 15, 2003 I apologize for any confusion. Calcium citrate is generally regarded as more absorbable for WLS patients than calcium carbonate. That is not the issue. It is not enough that you take calcium in calcium citrate form, but you must also take an adequate amount of calcium. The only way you have to know how much calcium is in a " serving " is by the information in the Supplemental Facts box on the product label. The FDA has very specific labeling requirements regarding content statements. That is what we are talking about. There recently was a very lengthy discussion of FDA labeling here. I will not go into that again. If you want a run down on that topic, email me privately and I will give it to you. Suffice it to say, you should prefer calcium citrate over calcium carbonate. If anything was said to indicate otherwise, it was not intended to do so. Ray Hooks For WLS nutrition info, visit http://www.bariatricsupplementsystem.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 15, 2003 Report Share Posted January 15, 2003 Thanks Ray, that is what I was looking for. I had the vbg and I suspect my nutritional requirements are a slight bit different then with the bypass. Just wanted to thank you for the information. Lori Owen - Denton, Texas CHF 4/14/01 479 lbs. SRVG 7/16/01 401 lbs. Current Weight 339.5 lbs. and loosing again Dr. Ritter/Dr. Bryce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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