Food & Beverage Litigation & Regulatory Update

Category: National Advertising Division

  • NAD Refers “Danish” Cookie Controversy to FDA, FTC

    The National Advertising Division (NAD), an investigative unit of the U.S. advertising industry’s system of self-regulation, has referred to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) an ad campaign for Danisa “Traditional Butter Cookies,” which are manufactured by the Mayora Group in Indonesia and distributed by Takari International, Inc. NAD…

  • “Eco-Friendly” Meal Delivery Packaging Claims Should Be Discontinued, NAD Rules

    After a review by the National Advertising Division (NAD), the advertising industry’s self-regulation investigative arm, Gobble, Inc. has agreed to discontinue claims that packaging for its meal-delivery services is “eco-friendly.” NAD requested substantiation for several claims appearing on Gobble’s website, including the company’s use of “insulated liners that are biodegradable so that you can dispose of…

  • NARB Recommends Advertising Changes to Blue Buffalo

    In an appeal from a National Advertising Division investigation initiated by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, a National Advertising Review Board (NARB) panel has recommended that Blue Buffalo Co. cease implying that other pet food manufacturers are “fooling” their customers on pet food nutrition. They found that the message of “fooling” was expressly or impliedly in several…

  • Ad Watchdog Calls on Chobani to Discontinue “Farmland” Commercials

    The National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus’ Advertising Self-Regulatory Council (ASRC) has recommended that Chobani, Inc. cease airing what it called “Farmland” commercials, “the centerpiece of the company’s campaign to promote its ‘Simply 100’ Greek yogurt.” A rival yogurt company challenged a number of Chobani TV ads that “featured two…

  • NAD Clears Promotions for Michelob ULTRA Light Cider®

    According to a news source, the Council of Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division (NAD) has determined that Anheuser Busch promotions for Michelob ULTRA Light Cider® comply with Food and Drug Administration definitions and guidelines. The company apparently claims that the product has one-third fewer calories than its competitors, and the ad industry’s self-regulatory investigative…

  • Sweetener Spat Provokes Recommendation to Discontinue “Natural” Ad Claims

    The Council of Better Business Bureaus’ National Advertising Division (NAD), which serves as the investigative arm of the advertising industry’s voluntary self-regulation program, has recommended that Heartland Sweeteners cease making some claims about its Ideal® sweetener product. The recommendation apparently followed a complaint by Merisant Co., a Heartland competitor, that Ideal® is not “natural” or “more…