This is nutty: Kind Bars are full of fat but healthy?

Kind says its snack bars are healthy, despite the FDA's warning letter requiring the bars to remove their 'healthy' labels.

In a response to a scathing warning letter from the FDA made public this week, the maker of Kind Bars says it is working to correct its mislabeled products that contain the words "healthy," "plus," "no trans fats," "antioxidant-rich," and "good source of fiber."

Kind admitted that its labels did not meet the FDA's standards. But the company also contested the the agency's narrow definition of "healthy." Kind noted that the key ingredient in its snack bars is nuts -- a naturally fatty food that nutritionists believe is nevertheless good for you.

"Nuts ... contain nutritious fats that exceed the amount allowed under the FDA's standard," the company said in a blog post. "This is similar to other foods that do not meet the standard for use of the term healthy, but are generally considered to be good for you like avocados, salmon and eggs."

Nuts are high in nutritious unsaturated fats, which, when eaten instead of refined carbohydrates and sugar, can lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.

At the same time, nuts are also high in the less-nutritious saturated variety of fat.

The FDA requires that for a food item to be labeled "healthy," it must contain less than 1 gram of saturated fat per serving. Four varieties of Kind Bars, including Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot, Almond & Coconut, Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants and the Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein bar contain more than 2.5 grams of saturated fat, despite being labeled "healthy."

In its warning letter, the FDA also knocked Kind Bars for using the terms "plus" and "antioxidant-rich" when they do not contain enough nutrients to satisfy those labels.

The FDA took issue with Kind using terms like "good source of fiber" and "no trans fats," because they imply that the bars are healthy. Even if those claims are true, which they are, Kind is not allowed to put those lables on its bars without qualifying that the bars are high in fat.

Kind Bars were also reprimanded for putting a P.O. Box on its labels instead of a physical address. Companies can only do that if they are listed in the phone book.

The violations are "significant," according to the FDA. If Kind doesn't comply with the changes, the FDA could take them off store shelves.

Kind said it is working with the FDA and "moving quickly to comply with its request." The company also said that it is reviewing all of its labels -- even those that aren't subject to the FDA's warning letter. But Kind has no plans to change its ingredients.

"We couldn't be more proud of our snack foods and their nutritional benefits," the company said. "While we make these updates to our packaging and our website, please know that our recipes will stay the same."

Related: Is this the world's most expensive chocolate?

Related: This energy bar gets its kick from ... crickets

CNNMoney (New York) April 15, 2015: 10:05 AM ET

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ECB president Mario Draghi attacked by protester

Just minutes into his introductory statement, a women jumped onto his desk shouting "end ECB dictatorship!" She was dragged out of the room by security guards, but not before showering the startled Draghi with confetti.

The news conference was briefly interrupted. Draghi appeared unhurt.

He had just begun explaining how well the ECB's new program of money printing was working when the attack happened.

It's the second public protest against the central bank in a month.

Riots erupted outside the ECB's new $1.3 billion headquarters in March after thousands of protesters gathered to rage against an institution they blame for ruining the lives of millions in the eurozone.

Draghi has been credited with taking bold steps to save Europe from financial disaster. First in 2012 with his famous promise to do "whatever it takes" to prevent the euro from falling apart, and again earlier this year by persuading the bank to launch a $1.3 trillion stimulus program to get growth moving again.

But the ECB is also a high-profile symbol of the austerity that has caused hardship for millions across the region. Together with the International Monetary Fund and European Commission, it formed the so-called "troika" to police the bailouts that kept countries such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal afloat.

The rescue loans were provided in exchange for commitments by governments in those countries to get borrowing under control -- by slashing spending and raising taxes -- and to overhaul their economies to make them more competitive.

Nearly seven years on from the start of the financial crisis, economic hardship remains a reality for many in Europe. Unemployment in the eurozone is falling, but is still around 11%. Growth is recovering but from a very low base, and the rate of joblessness among young people is much higher in Spain and Greece.

Draghi has acknowledged that the central bank may have become a "focal point for those frustrated with this situation."

"This may not be a fair charge. Our action has been aimed precisely at cushioning the shocks suffered by the economy," he said at the opening of the new HQ last month.

-- Virginia Harrison and Ivana Kottasova contributed to this article.

CNNMoney (London) April 15, 2015: 10:01 AM ET

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Smith & Wesson: Gun orders are picking up again

Smith & Wesson (SWHC) shares soared 13% Wednesday as the company announced that firearm orders are picking up again. Sales in recent weeks have been better than expected.

The company now forecasts sales of between $175 million to $179 million for the quarter. That's up 8% from its projection just six weeks ago and will help boost the company's earnings as well.

Investors see potential in the gun market again. The company's stock is now up a whopping 50% since the start of 2015.

Smith & Wesson gun sales hit a record of $626.6 million last year. The company won't be anywhere near that for this fiscal year, which runs through the end of April, but the pick up in orders recently may signal a turning point. Its latest projection is for full-year sales of between $546 million and $550 million.

Investors appear to be reading this latest projection as a sign of the market getting back on track.

Related: Boom - Gun sales rebound

Strum, Ruger & Co. (RGR), the other publicly traded U.S. firearm manufacturer, also saw its shares jump almost 10% in early trading. Its stock has also jumped phenomenally since the start of the year.

Related: Snoop Dogg wants you to unload your gun stocks

CNNMoney (New York) April 15, 2015: 10:22 AM ET

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Mark Zuckerberg only works 50 to 60 hours a week

In a surprise Q&A session Tuesday evening, Facebook's (FB, Tech30) CEO said he only spends 50 to 60 hours each week doing "real work" in the office or in meetings. But he conceded that if the definition of "work" were expanded, he'd be working his "whole life."

"That depends on what you count as work," Zuckerberg said in response to a question about how many hours he works each day. "I spend most of my time thinking about how to connect the world and serve our community better, but a lot of that time isn't in our office or meeting with people or doing what you'd call real work."

"I take a lot of time just to read and think about things by myself," he added. "If you count the time I'm in the office, it's probably no more than 50-60 hours a week. But if you count all the time I'm focused on our mission, that's basically my whole life."

Zuckerberg at work. Don't expect to find him here all day.

CEOs famously work long hours and have little time for their families. Though Zuckerberg works a much longer week than the average American, he seems to have struck a better work-life balance than most other heads of corporations.

Zuckerberg sets personal challenges for himself, including hunting all the meat that he eats, learning Mandarin and reading a new book every other week.

In the Q&A, Zuckerberg noted that he reads both fiction and nonfiction but "probably" more fact-based books. He said he is currently reading Peter Huber's "Orwell's Revenge," in addition to the books he is reading for his "A Year of Books" challenge.

As for learning Mandarin, he said the key to learning a language is to "put in the time and let it seep into your mind."

"Learning a language is extremely humbling because there's no way to 'figure it out' by just being clever," he noted.

In addition to discussing his work-life balance, Zuckerberg touched on a number of other subjects, including a couple controversial ones.

His Internet.org initiative to connect underprivileged people to the Internet has caught some flak for picking and choosing which apps those people will have access to. Rather than providing full Internet service, Internet.org will only give its customers "a few basic Internet services." He was asked how that jibes with his support for net neutrality.

"I think net neutrality is important...For people who are not on the internet though, having some connectivity and some ability to share is always much better than having no ability to connect and share at all," Zuckerberg said.

He also addressed his widely panned $100 million donation to the public school system of Newark, New Jersey, which critics say failed to live up to its promise of making the schools "a symbol of educational excellence for the whole nation." The donation was also criticized for giving too much of the money to consulting firms.

"A lot of good work has come from that grant," Zuckerberg said. "The highlight is that the graduation rate has improved by more than 10% since we're started our program there. The leaders we've worked with in NJ have started many new high performing schools, paid teachers more and have improved the schools in lots of other ways."

And, in a rare move, Zuckerberg even flashed some dry humor.

Q: Any chance you can add a sarcasm button for us Brits?

A: Sure, we'll get right on that :-)

Related: Zuckerberg has his Tim Cook moment

Related: Mark Zuckerberg has one rule for hiring

CNNMoney (New York) April 15, 2015: 7:35 AM ET

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OPEC pumps up output in fight for market share

The cartel has just chalked up its biggest monthly increase in production in almost four years as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Libya all boosted output, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday.

OPEC supply jumped to 31 million barrels per day in March. That was 890,000 barrels per day more than in February -- the biggest rise since June 2011.

Faced with a boom in U.S. shale production, OPEC decided last November not to cut output quotas despite falling prices and calls from some members to act.

Oil prices dropped by about 50% in the last six months of 2014 but have stabilized since then.

The Paris-based IEA, which monitors energy market trends for the world's richest nations, said global oil demand in 2015 will be higher than previously expected. It increased its forecast by 90,000 barrels a day to 93.6 million.

The increase is mainly due to colder temperatures in the first few months of this year, as well as the improving global economy.

Related: Why OPEC can't kill the U.S. oil boom

But the report offered little clarity on how the price collapse would affect supply and demand in longer terms.

"In some ways, the outlook is only getting murkier," the agency said.

It blamed the uncertainty on constant changes in geopolitics -- such as the prospect of Iran sanctions being lifted.

"One of the many questions hanging over the market today is, how quickly could Iran be expected to ramp up output and exports if the agreement were to be made permanent," it said.

U.S. crude futures were trading about 1.2% higher at $54 per barrel on Wednesday.

Related: U.S. on track for record oil production in 2015

CNNMoney (London) April 15, 2015: 7:16 AM ET

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One in six retired NFL players goes bankrupt

A new study found that nearly 16 percent of former players end up filing for bankruptcy within a dozen years of retiring.

It also revealed that career earnings and the length of a player's career had little impact on whether they will end up broke. Star players are just as likely to file for bankruptcy as those who spent most of their time on the bench.

"Having played for a long time and been well paid does not provide much protection against the risk of going bankrupt," wrote the study's authors, who teach at Cal Tech, George Washington University and the University of Washington.

Among the high profile players who have filed for bankruptcy are Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp, Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Rison and Pro Bowl quarterback Mark Brunell. Sapp made more than $50 million during his career, according to salary tracker Spotrac, but filed for bankruptcy in 2012, within five years of his final game.

The study says that players should be able to save enough money they make during what they know will be a relatively short career so that they'll be financially secure when the paychecks stop. But many engage in risky investments and begin "rapidly drawing down limited savings" soon after they finish playing.

The study does knock down a widely repeated claim by Sports Illustrated that "by the time they have been retired for two years, 78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce."

Instead, the study found about 2% file for bankruptcy within two years of their career ending, and that rate climbs steadily to nearly 16% within 12 years before leveling off. The study's authors tracked players drafted by NFL teams from 1996 to 2003.

Related: This NFL player used connections as bait for Ponzi scheme

The current NFL minimum salary is $435,000 a year for a rookie and $970,000 for a player with nine or more years in the league. But NFL contracts are not guaranteed the way they are in Major League Baseball or the National Basketball Association, meaning if a player is cut he can lose most of the money promised to him.

NFL careers are also shorter on average than the other sports, with an average length of only a little more than three years. And football is a more punishing physical sport that is more likely to leave players with health problems that can limit their post-playing career opportunities.

Related: NFL gets billions in subsidies from U.S. taxpayers

The National Bureau of Economic Research is one of the nation's leading economics organization. It members determine when recessions begin and end and it publishes studies from many of the nation's top economists.

CNNMoney (New York) April 15, 2015: 8:20 AM ET

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U.S. economy still on track for best year since 2005

Official data for the first quarter will be released April 29, and forecasters are marking down their numbers due to weak spending by consumers and businesses.

The IMF cut its forecast for U.S. GDP growth in 2015 to 3.1%, from 3.6% in January. But that's still much better than 2014, when the economy grew by 2.4%.

Low oil prices should begin to feed through to consumer spending, the IMF said, and even a gradual rise in interest rates and the strong dollar shouldn't prevent the U.S. from turning in its best performance since 2005.

"For the U.S. the strong dollar is good but it slows down spending," said Olivier Blanchard, chief economist at the IMF. "But the U.S. has the tools to respond to it if the economy were to slow down. They could ... increase interest rates later, or may be able to use fiscal [stimulus]."

Related: Fed rate hike: Speed and size matter more than the start

The flip side of a strong dollar is a weak euro and yen, which have lost about 25% and 10% of their value respectively since the start of 2014. That should support the tentative recoveries in Europe and Japan.

The IMF raised its forecast for eurozone growth to 1.5%, compared with 1.2% in January, and for Japan to 1%. Central banks in both economies are pumping vast quantities of cheap money into their banking systems to stimulate demand.

At 3.5%, the IMF's global growth projection is unchanged since its last update and just a shade stronger than 2014. High levels of debt -- public, household, or corporate -- continue to act as a brake on the world economy.

"Financial crises leave long scars," said Blanchard. "In most countries there is one of these things that is not right, there is a level of debt that is too high."

Advanced economies will make up for slower growth in most of the major emerging markets.

China's growth will slow to 6.8% from 7.4% last year. But India should power ahead with growth of 7.5% in 2015, according to the IMF.

Related: This Indian city has the world's worst air

CNNMoney (London) April 14, 2015: 9:01 AM ET

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Nearly 1 million new malware threats released every day

A new report from Internet security firm Symantec (SYMC, Tech30) provides an alarming picture of how difficult it's becoming for computer users to stay safe online.

Last year was a big one for high-profile cybercrime, from the Heartbleed bug to major corporate attacks, and Sony's embarrassing hack.

Symantec's analysis of security threats in 2014 revealed thieves are working faster than companies can defend themselves, and launching more malicious attacks than in previous years.

More than 317 million new pieces of malware -- computer viruses or other malicious software -- were created last year. That means nearly one million new threats were released each day.

Directed attacks and data breaches also grew. Five out of six large companies were targeted by cybercriminals, a 40% rise on the previous year. The mining industry was the world's most targeted sector.

Related: Hackers are stealing your tax refund

But it's some of the newer scams that might make tech users particularly nervous. Here are a few examples:

Digital exortion: Cyberthieves are increasingly blackmailing victims and so-called ransomware attacks surged 113% last year. Hackers steal files or photos from a victim's computer and demand a ransom -- typically between $300 and $500 -- in exchange for a key to decrypt their files.

Sophisticated attacks: Hackers are breaching networks with more targeted, selective attacks. Here's a common ploy: Hackers hide malware inside software updates and wait for user to install the update -- meaning companies are essentially infecting themselves.

Social media: Scams on social platforms are also on the rise. Victims do the work of the cybercriminals by sharing videos or stories with their friends that include links to sketchy sites. Symantec said these lucrative swindles spread rapidly because people are more likely to click on something posted by a friend.

"Likejacking" is another one: Using fake "like" buttons, hackers trick people into clicking on website buttons that install malware and may post updates on a user's news feed, spreading the attack.

Related: You got hacked. Cybersecurity stocks soar.

CNNMoney (London) April 14, 2015: 8:55 AM ET

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Amazon, HarperCollins avert public fight

With this deal, Amazon has struck accords with four of the so-called "big five" book publishers: Hachette, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and HarperCollins.

The fifth publisher, Penguin Random House, won't comment on its status with Amazon (AMZN, Tech30).

Business Insider reported in March that HarperCollins was bracing for a battle with Amazon, like the one that Hachette had with Amazon last year.

The web site flexed its marketplace muscle by delaying Hachette book deliveries and turning off preorder options. The two sides settled last November.

The deals establish new terms for e-book pricing, marketing of books on Amazon's site, and other aspects of distribution. As the dominant seller of books, Amazon wields a significant amount of power over publishers.

Macmillan's CEO John Sargent said as much when his company's new deal with Amazon was finished last December.

"In reaching agreement with Amazon, we have not addressed one of the big problems in the digital marketplace," he wrote in a blog post. "Amazon holds a 64% market share of Macmillan's e-book business."

Sargent added, "As publishers, authors, illustrators, and agents, we need broader channels to reach our readers."

Amazon declined to comment on the latest deal reached Sunday night with HarperCollins.

The publisher said in a statement that it had "reached an agreement with Amazon and our books will continue to be available on the Amazon print and digital platforms."

CNNMoney (New York) April 14, 2015: 10:14 AM ET

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KFC 'dreadful,' says man who brought franchise to Britain

The man who brought Kentucky Fried Chicken to Britain decades ago now says the food there is "dreadful" and pledged never to eat at the fast-food joint again.

Raymond Allen opened the first KFC franchises in the United Kingdom after a chance encounter with Harlan "the Colonel" Saunders 50 years ago in Chicago, according to The Telegraph.

"We have got one where I now live, but I would not go in there," Allen told the paper in an interview published Tuesday. "I don't use it and I think it is dreadful. The company has ruined the product."

Allen said that he still has a hand-written copy of the secret recipe for KFC locked away in a bank.

But the 87-year-old Allen claims the chicken chain has lost its way. He said KFC now has too many menu items and he doesn't think very highly of any of them.

"Instead of staying with one good thing that was sellable, they have tried to compete with the other fast food units," said Allen. "They should have just stuck with the chicken."

Allen's wife Shirley, 84, isn't impressed with the food either.

"We tried KFC only once about a year ago," she said in the same interview. "We had the traditional original chicken but there were so many different products it was difficult to know what to order. I don't think we will go back."

Related: KFC just can't give up on China

Allen helped spread the KFC franchise across the U.K. before he sold the business in 1973.

KFC, a division of global fast-food giant Yum! Brands (YUM), currently has nearly 200 locations in England, Ireland and Scotland.

However, Allen said it took some time for Kentucky-style fried chicken to catch on in the land of boiled meats.

"In the UK in those days chicken was something you ate for Sunday dinner," said Allen. "It was way before its time. We had to give it away to passers-by initially."

But once Britons developed a taste for KFC, it seemed to take off. At one point, Allen was opening a new location every week, the paper said.

"We were in a race against time with McDonalds as we both wanted to get the best sites," said Allen.

Yet it was a struggle to find financing in the early days. Allen said he "walked the streets of London" looking for a loan because all the banks he went to said there was "no future in the business."

Eventually, he was able to raise the £100,000 he needed from an American company, on the condition that he would sell the business once he opened 100 locations, which he did.

Related: KFC parent cuts profit expectations in half

Allen, who like Saunders was made an official "Kentucky Colonel," couldn't remember the exact recipe for KFC's signature fried chicken, which is widely believed to be made up of 11 herbs and spices.

"It is a lengthy recipe," he said. "I think there are 11 herbs and spices but I can't remember it off the top of my head so I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to."

Allen said he doesn't get asked about the closely-guarded recipe very often since not many people are aware of his involvement with the company.

"I have no idea how much it is worth but I would never sell it," he said.

CNNMoney (New York) April 14, 2015: 7:53 AM ET

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