Tag: dietary supplement
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FTC Finalizes First Case Alleging Deceptive Ads for Probiotics
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced that final approval was given to a settlement reached with a Nestlé S.A. subsidiary over claims that its children’s drink, BOOST Kid Essentials®, conferred specific health benefits, such as reducing the risk of colds and flu and reducing the duration of acute diarrhea. More information about the settlement…
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FDA Revises Qualified Health Claims for Selenium Dietary Supplements
According to counsel for a company that makes dietary supplements containing selenium, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to allow the company to make qualified health claims for the products that include brief disclaimers. The company will apparently be able to label its products with claims that selenium “may reduce the risk” of…
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FTC Obtains Preliminary Injunction Against Internet Marketers Making Acai Berry Health Claims
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken action against companies that sell açai berry supplements, “colon cleansers” and other products online by featuring false Oprah Winfrey and Rachael Ray endorsements and illegally billing customer credit cards. According to an agency press release, a U.S. district court has temporarily ordered a halt to “an internet sales…
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AlterNet Article Questions “Nutraceuticals”
“Energy bars and energy drinks are just the tip of this antioxidant-enhanced, vitamin-enriched, high-fiber iceberg,” writes Anneli Rufus in an August 3, 2010, AlterNet article examining health claims based on nutraceuticals such as “vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, other botanicals, and that amorphous category known as dietary supplements.” According to Rufus, “nutraceuticals hark back to preindustrial…
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FDA Announces Information Collection on Food Labeling Regulations
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget a proposed information collection related to food labeling regulations. According to FDA, these regulations govern the submission of food labeling petitions and require food producers to: (i) disclose specific information about themselves or their products on labeling; (ii) retain records…
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Consumer Reports Claims Some Protein Drinks Laden with Lead
Consumers Union (CU) has issued the results of its investigation into protein drinks, concluding that many products are at best superfluous and at worst unsafe. Published in the July 2010 edition of Consumer Reports, the findings allegedly support the watchdog’s position that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education…
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GAO Testimony Takes Aim at Herbal Dietary Supplements’ Marketing Practices, Contaminants
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has delivered testimony before the U.S. Senate’s Special Committee on Aging that highlights examples of deceptive or questionable marketing practices involving certain dietary supplements. GAO also reported that some herbal dietary supplements contained contaminants, including trace amounts of lead. According to GAO Managing Director of Forensic Audits and Special Investigations…
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FTC Warning Letters: A New Era of Enforcement?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced that it had sent warning letters to 11 companies that promote omega-3 fatty acid dietary supplements. The letters indicated that the companies should review their product labeling and packaging claims, as well as product advertising, to ensure that the claims are adequately substantiated. The commission’s issuance of these…