Food containing olive oil can carry labels saying it may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, the government says, citing limited evidence from a dozen scientific studies about the benefits of monounsaturated fats.

As long as people don’t increase the number of calories they consume daily, the Food and Drug Administration confirmed a reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease when people replace foods high in saturated fat with the monounsaturated fat in olive oil.

That means a change as simple as sauteing food in two tablespoons of olive oil instead of butter may be healthier for your heart.

"Since CHD is the No. 1 killer of both men and women in the US, it is a public health priority to make sure that consumers have accurate and useful information on reducing their risk," Lester M Crawford, acting FDA commissioner, said.

"It’s good news for consumers," said Bob Bauer, president of the North American Olive Oil Association, which sought the qualified health claim on August 28, 2003. "Olive oil is a healthy product to help them fight heart disease."

Recent research has underscored the heart benefits from so-called Mediterranean diets high in unsaturated fats from vegetable oil, nuts and such fish as salmon and tuna. Mortality rates dropped by more than 50 percent among elderly Europeans who stuck to such diets and led healthy lifestyles, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in September.

The North American Olive Oil Association included 88 publications to back its claim for the heart-healthy benefits of olive oil. The group wanted to make the claim for monounsaturated fats contained in olive oil. Eating two tablespoons of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary