(CNN) -- False claims on food packaging deceive many health-conscious consumers, according to a new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a non-profit advocacy group.

CSPI claims food manufacturers deliberately use "buzz words," such as "immune system" or "whole grain," to catch shoppers' attention, and the group is calling on the Food and Drug Administration to take action.

"Food packaging has gotten so misleading it has become utterly ridiculous," says Ilene Ringel Heller, one of CSPI's senior staff attorneys, who helped write the 158-page complaint to the FDA.

Among the products alleged by CSPI to be making false claims is Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite Size. The front of the cereal box largely advertises the product as "lightly sweetened" but further review of the nutritional label indicates it has 12 grams of sugar per serving.

"The use of the term 'lightly sweetened' may convey the impression that the product is low in sugar. Whether Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite Size is 'lightly sweetened' should be determined by federal rules, not the marketing executives of a manufacturer," the CSPI report stated.

CNN contacted Kellogg Company but the company declined to comment.

FDA officials told CNN they have not yet read the CSPI report but are currently reviewing a number of food labels that may be false or misleading.

"We are very concerned that consumers have accurate information on food labels. We recently notified General Mills and Nestle of their labeling violations, and we will take additional actions against other companies as appropriate in the near future," says FDA spokesperson Siobhan DeLancey.

In August, the FDA sent a letter to the Smart Choice program, whose green checkmark logo was created to tell consumers that products carrying that logo followed recommended dietary guidelines.

The FDA letter advised officials of the program -- which was developed by a coalition of health organizations, scientists, food manufacturers and retailers -- that they needed to keep a closer eye on which food items placed the prominent logo on their packaging.

The FDA letter said, "people are less likely to check the Nutrition Facts label on the back or side panel of foods with front-of-pack labeling, it is essential that both the criteria and symbols used in front of package and shelf-labeling systems help consumers make healthy food choices."

The Smart Choice program announced in October it would "voluntarily postpone active operations" and not encourage "wider use of the logo at this time."

"Unfortunately food manufacturers know that consumers are very conscious to eat healthier food right now. So instead of trying to help them they are deceiving them into thinking that a product is better for them than is actually the case," says CSPI's Heller.

CSPI claims manufacturers use words such as "all natural" on products because focus groups show consumers equate the word "natural" to being more healthy.

According to the report, the claim is often not the case. The complaint lists Coca-Cola-manufactured Minute Maid's Cranberry Apple Cocktail as misleading. The words "all natural" appear on the front label but, "the product contains added citric acid -- meaning citric acid that didn't occur naturally in the juice. FDA rules state citric acid disqualifies a company from claiming the food is all natural," explains the report.

Multiple attempts by CNN to contact Coca-Cola for a statement in response to the claim went unanswered.

"This administration has been sending out more warning letters which we're optimistic about but it is critical they also follow through. It sends a very bad message when an agency isn't enforcing their own actions," says Heller, referring to the Obama administration and the FDA.

For now, the CSPI and nutritionists agree that consumers should pay close attention to food labels, especially the small print.

"Until food manufactures decide to stop manipulating consumers through deceiving photos and wordplay on packages, shoppers should basically ignore the front labels and just read the small print on the back," Heller says.

The-CNN-Wire/Atlanta
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