If you have a really great food or beverage product, you may be tempted to shout it from the rooftops. Or at least display its greatness on the front of the packaging. And while package claims can be helpful for both companies and consumers, they must be done right. This guide breaks down what you need to know and includes real product claims examples.
If you want to market your product with a certain claim, you have to go about it a very specific way. The FDA tightly regulates what can be claimed on product packaging. It has been proven that consumers prefer products with nutrition and health claims, so following the FDA claim approval process can really pay off for your brand. Marketing materials such as ads, packaging, and websites must all comply with these regulations.
Are wondering how to go about marketing a claim for your food or beverage product?
Look no further. Here is what you need to know.
The Basics of Marketing Claims
Marketing claims are more than just words on a package or website—they’re promises to your customers. The right claim can spotlight what makes your product different, inspire confidence, and create an emotional connection that drives purchases. From packaging and advertising to digital content, these statements help carve out your place in a crowded market.
But with that power comes responsibility. Overstated or misleading claims can damage credibility, erode consumer trust, and even trigger legal consequences. Today’s consumers are savvy—they want transparency, honesty, and proof behind every promise.
That’s why it’s essential to ensure your marketing and packaging claims are clear, accurate, and fully compliant with regulations. Done right, your claims don’t just sell a product—they build trust, reinforce your brand story, and create loyal customers who believe in what you stand for.
FDA-Approved Claims
The FDA considers a health claim to be a statement about the relationship between a food product or ingredient and a reduced risk of disease or a health condition. Based on this, the FDA only approves and acknowledges two types of health claims:
- Authorized Health Claims – Claims backed by significant scientific agreement (SSA). There is publicly available scientific information on the matter and a consensus on the effects, etc.
- Qualified Health Claims – Claims that don’t have the requirements for SSA but are still backed by a significant amount of scientific evidence.
For both types of health claims, the FDA helps keep brands accountable and consumers protected. Authorized Health Claims go through a formal FDA petition process. Once approved, they’re available for any brand to use—as long as the product truly meets the criteria. Qualified Health Claims also require FDA review, but because the evidence isn’t as strong, the FDA requires careful wording and disclaimers so customers aren’t misled. The bottom line? You can’t just create a new health claim out of thin air. Every claim must either be one the FDA has already approved or go through the agency’s review process before it can appear on your packaging or marketing.
Other Claims
If you would rather not wait months and months for FDA approval, you can use other claims for your products. These claims If you don’t want to wait months for FDA approval, you can still make other types of claims about your products. These claims don’t require pre-approval, but they’re still regulated meaning there must be evidence to support them, and they must be written in a way that doesn’t mislead consumers. Every statement on your label, from certifications to ingredients to product benefits, needs to be accurate and transparent to protect your brand and build trust. That includes warnings, ingredients, and any certifications such as ‘natural’ or ‘organic,’ to protect consumers and avoid misleading information.
These types of claims are:
- Structure – Function Claims – These claims describe the role of a food or food ingredient in affecting the structure or function of the human body. These types are claims are often used for supplements. Example: “Calcium builds strong bones.”
- Dietary Guidance Claims – These claims describe certain ingredients’ roles in contributing to a healthy diet. Example: “High-fiber foods promote regularity.”
- Nutritional Content Claims – These claims describe the level of a nutrient in the product. Example: “This product has 1 ½ of your daily servings of whole grains.”
While these claims don’t go through the same formal approval process as health claims, the FDA and FTC can still take action if they’re inaccurate or misleading.
Supporting these claims with research may involve clinical studies or other forms of evidence, even if not required by the FDA.
The takeaway? Use these claims strategically—but always back them with truth and transparency.
So now that you know more about what needs to be approved and what doesn’t, find out more about the most common claims in the market before you decide which is best for your product.
Top Food & Beverage Product Claims:
Today’s most successful food and beverage brands lean on claims that connect with consumer values and lifestyle choices. The most common include:
- Healthy Diet – “Low fat,” “sugar free,” “reduced sodium,” or “a good source of fiber.”
- Absence of ‘Bad’ Ingredients – “No artificial ingredients,” “free from preservatives,” or “non-GMO.”
- Pure & Natural – “Organic” (USDA certified) or “all natural” (commonly used but not formally defined by the FDA).
- Ethical (Animals) – “Grass-fed,” “cage-free,” “pasture-raised.”
- Ethical (Humans) – “Fair trade,” “responsibly sourced,” “equal opportunity.”
- Heart Health & Wellness – Claims like “heart healthy,” when supported by FDA regulations.
- Lifestyle & Ideological – “Kosher,” “Halal,” “vegan,” “vegetarian.”
- Environmentally Friendly – “Sustainable,” “Rainforest Alliance Certified,” “Non-GMO Project Verified.”
- Performance-Based – “Brain food,” “long-lasting energy.”
Some claims—especially those related to safety or the absence of harmful ingredients—carry extra weight for children’s products, where ingredient quality and safety standards must be even higher.
It’s important to remember that while many of these claims help build trust and align with consumer expectations, not all can be used freely. Certain claims require FDA oversight (such as “heart healthy”), USDA certification (such as “organic”), or third-party verification (such as “Non-GMO Project Verified” or “Fair Trade Certified”). Just keep in mind that some of these labeling claims need FDA approval, or approval from outside organizations like the USDA (certified organic) or The Non-GMO Project (certified non-GMO). For more on how symbols on packaging, see this guide.
Consumers Choose
While you may be trying to decide which claim will be best for your brand, it is actually the consumer that chooses. They will respond to the claims that speak to them the most, best fit their lifestyles, and clearly communicate the value of the product.
The best possible way to figure out which claim will be most relevant is through market research testing. If you have the finances and the time to test claims for consumer feedback, I highly recommend it. Consumers will give feedback on which claims are important to their lifestyle and which claims don’t seem to matter. Clear and truthful claims help consumers make informed decisions about your product.
Misleading Advertisements
In today’s crowded market, misleading advertisements aren’t just a bad look—they can actively harm consumers and brands alike. When marketing claims exaggerate benefits or leave out key details, people make purchasing decisions based on incomplete or false information. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the watchdog here, enforcing rules that protect consumers from deceptive or unfair advertising.
Common Examples of Misleading Claims
- Skincare labeled “clinically proven” without supporting studies
- Snacks marketed as “sugar-free” that contain artificial sweeteners
- Health gadgets claiming 100% accuracy without verified testing
Callout: False claims can lead to legal action, fines, class action lawsuits, and long-term reputational damage.
Take Red Bull as a notable case: consumers challenged the company’s slogan, “Red Bull gives you wings,” arguing it was misleading. The resulting settlement cost Red Bull millions and serves as a cautionary tale: when claims overpromise, the financial and reputational consequences can be steep.
Manufacturers play a pivotal role in keeping advertising honest. Leading brands set the standard by prioritizing transparency, clear labeling, proper safety warnings, and regulatory compliance. When manufacturers uphold these standards, they protect both consumers and themselves—building trust and credibility that lasts.
Honest marketing isn’t just about avoiding lawsuits—it builds trust and credibility with customers.
Managing Risk
Product liability lawsuits can carry significant costs, including legal fees, damages, and settlements. For businesses—especially those selling through online platforms—product liability insurance is often essential to safeguard against financial risks associated with misleading claims. Many marketplaces even require sellers with significant revenue to carry this coverage.
Consider the case of a health monitoring device that claimed highly accurate heart rate tracking. Independent tests revealed frequent inaccuracies, damaging consumer trust and highlighting the critical importance of verifying product performance before making claims.
Every claim on your packaging, website, or advertising must be truthful, substantiated, and transparent. Accuracy isn’t just compliance—it’s the foundation for trust, loyalty, and long-term brand success.
Think Like a Consumer
However, if you cannot do market research testing, you can still gain insight into how your consumer thinks.
Firstly, think of your target audience. You have to understand how consumers decide which products are right for them based on the claims they see. Knowing what kind of consumer you want to reach is key when selling your product. Understanding who you are selling to is crucial for crafting effective claims that resonate with your audience and avoid making statements that could mislead consumers. Consider the following:
- Who is your ideal customer? Who are they shopping for? (kids, teens, adults, elderly)
- Who influences their purchase? (family, friends, doctors, celebrities, etc.)
- Where are they getting their recommendations? (online, word-of-mouth, etc.)
- What is their lifestyle like? What are their habits? (allergy-conscious, vegan, halal, etc.)
You must know exactly who your product is going to appeal to so you can narrow down which claims will carry them to the point-of-purchase. Be careful—making unsubstantiated or exaggerated claims can mislead consumers and damage trust in your brand.
But remember – more isn’t always better. If you have too many claims, your product could lose its credibility and your best claims can lose their potency. Too many claims can give consumers ‘label fatigue’, so choose one (or a few) that speak to your consumers and stick with it.
Finally, Make an Informed Decision
Once you are sure which claims will appeal to your ideal customer, decide which claim is most truthful to and reflective of your product. Make sure the chosen claim accurately represents the effectiveness of the product to maintain credibility and consumer trust. Also consider which claim best matches the product branding and the overall company branding.