Drink maker to consumers: Judge for yourself

It uses FTC ruling in new ad campaign

May 25, 2012 at 4:44AM
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

POM Wonderful, the maker of the pomegranate beverage, is talking back to a Federal Trade Commission judge. Days after the FTC ruled that the company had made "false or misleading" claims about its product, the beverage maker launched an ad campaign incorporating the ruling -- by quoting the judge. In a 335-page opinion, Chief Administrative Law Judge Michael Chappell said: "Pomegranate juice is a natural fruit product with health promoting characteristics. The safety of pomegranate juice is not in doubt." But he also found that there was "insufficient competent and reliable scientific evidence to support the implied claims" in POM advertisements, including that it can help fight heart disease, prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction. But that's the part that a company vice president, Corey Martin, is disputing. He said the company never made such direct claims. Read more about the ruling and the dust-up at Bloomberg

(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

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Courtnay Peifer

Nation/World Editor

Courtnay Peifer is a national editor with a focus on managing the copy desk, national/world wire stories, Science + Health Sunday section, copy editing enterprise and projects for print and digital platforms. 

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