DECEPTIVE CLAIMS ALLEGED IN DIETARY FOOD SUPPLEMENTS.

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

An iced tea label vows to lower stress. A breakfast cereal offers to boost brain power. Snack chips suggest ``an effective antibiotic,'' while a fruit juice promises ``vitality.''

Their magic ingredient? Herbal supplements, which a renowned research group and the Connecticut attorney general said last week make health claims that cannot be backed up with medical evidence.

``There is no scientific evidence to support these outlandish and ridiculous claims,'' Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said. ``State action will be forthcoming if the federal government can't do better.''

For some consumers, the inclusion of herbal supplements is a surprise, and not always a welcome one.

``I don't usually do herbal stuff,'' Linda Mulvey, 58, of West Hills said last week, before reading aloud the ``ancient healing formula'' claim on a Saint Johnswort Tea box at Trader Joe's.

``I don't think they should be able to make claims that haven't been documented, tested and proved,'' she said. ``You know everyday you read of something that's supposed to be good for you - it'll drive you crazy.''

Policy-makers and consumer advocates agree. They contend dozens of foods illegally contain purported herbal medicines that deceive Americans with false health claims.

Worse, they could be dangerous.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest teamed up last week with Connecticut's top attorney and a renowned expert on herbs to petition the Food and Drug Administration to halt sales of 75 so-called ``functional foods.''

They accuse the FDA, hamstrung by dietary laws, of not protecting consumers from the latest food fad. Others say unproven and unregulated herbal dietary supplements dupe buyers in search of ``a magic health bullet.''

However, the Grocery Manufacturers of America defends the $16 billion functional-food industry and accuses consumer advocates of ``frenzied overreaction.'' The group insists the FDA properly regulates foods and that brand-name manufacturers only sell safe products.

The FDA, which refused to comment last week, has contended it hasn't the money to crack down on functional foods overall, preferring case-by-case investigations.

In addition to cracking down on sales of food supplements in his home state, Blumenthal is petitioning other attorneys general to do the same. A spokeswoman for California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who had not received the petition, said he would consider the request.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, applauded Blumenthal's stand against any functional foods promising a nutritional shot in the arm.

``These are, in my view, drugs disguised as food, and the FDA should have the authority to regulate and should be doing more in this area,'' said Waxman, who serves on a House subcommittee on health and the environment.