The Federal Trade Commission has sued the Gerber company (also doing business as Nestle Nutrition) for claiming that some of its baby food can prevent or reduce allergies in children. The complaint alleges that the company misled consumers because the claim is not true. Gerber Good Start Gentle formula is made with partially hydrolyzed wheat proteins, which the company claims makes the product easier to digest than formula made with intact cow's milk proteins. The company advertises that feeding this formula to infants who have a family history of allergies will prevent allergies or reduce the risk that they will develop. Some of the ads read, "If you have allergies in your family, breastfeeding your baby can help reduce their risk. And, if you decide to introduce formula, research … [Read more...]
Green Coffee Bean Supplement Maker Settles FTC Charges
The Federal Trade Commission has settled with Applied Food Sciences, Inc. on charges that it used the results of a flawed study to market baseless weight-loss claims about its green coffee extract. The FTC stated that the study was "so hopelessly flawed that no reliable conclusions could be drawn from it." The flawed study was promoted on the Dr. Oz Show. The settlement requires the company to pay $3.5 million and to have scientific substantiation for any future weight-loss claims it makes, including at least "two adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials." The company made the false claims to retailers, who repeated the claims to consumers. Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection said in a statement, "Applied Food Sciences knew or should have known … [Read more...]
