FDA Declares 'Love' Cannot Be An Ingredient

The Food and Drug Administration has declared that "love" cannot be a food ingredient and is demanding that a Massachusetts bakery remove it as a listed element in its granola. The Nashoba Brook Bakery in Concord lists all of the ingredients in their granola mix — but they also include the word "love" because they know all the best things are made with care. The FDA apparently disagrees and issued a stern letter to the business.

"Your Nashoba Granola label lists ingredient 'Love'. Ingredients required to be declared on the label or labeling of food must be listed by their common or usual name," read the message.

"The idea that we have to take the word love off of the ingredient list for our granola feels a little silly," said John Gates, co-owner of the bakery. "We have to bring passion and love to what we do because we're making fresh bread and granola and pastry every day."

Although concerns were also raised about allergens and site-cleanliness plus proper precautions with bread dough, the ingredient listing objection incited the most pushback from the bakery.

"Listen," Gates continued. "We will comply with everything that the FDA has asked us to do. And the only caveat is that we will ask for consideration where they might let us add love as a listed ingredient back into the granola label."

They may not list "love" as an ingredient, but these are America's 50 best bakeries.