Federal Trade Commission suing POM Wonderful for unverified health statements

Everybody knows that there isn’t much truth when it comes to advertising. Businesses will often get in trouble for the statements they make about products in marketing. According to the Wall Street Journal, the United States Federal Trade Commission has prosecuted POM Wonderful LLC of Los Angeles, makers of a popular pomegranate juice drink. The FTC suit is all about what is in the POM Wonderful products. Evidently the juice and POMx supplements have “false and unsubstantiated claims that their products will prevent or treat heart disease, prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction.” Source of article – FTC suing POM Wonderful for unsubstantiated health claims by Personal Money Store.

FTC taking on POM Wonderful

The WSJ argues that POM Wonderful products aren’t that bad. They have been “proven to fight for cardiovascular, prostate and erectile health,” supposedly. The company is told by the FTC that its advertising is false. There is not enough proof from claims like a "30 percent decrease in arterial plaque” and "17 percent improved blood flow.”. The statements are backed by "unprecedented scientific research,” which is what POM Wonderful claims although it is not quite legitimate.

As outlined by David Vladeck of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, “Any consumer who sees POM Wonderful products as a silver bullet against disease has been misled.”.

After that, one more suit arrives from POM Wonderful towards the Federal Trade Commission

POM Wonderful thinks that the requirements the Federal Trade Commission puts out aren’t possible to follow. The FTC hadn’t even filed the lawsuit when POM Wonderful said the requirements weren’t fair. POM Wonderful claims its free-speech rights within the First Amendment are being hurt with the requirements. While the FTC hasn’t played the previous Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes card of falsely shouting “fire” in a crowded theater as an illustration of the limits of free speech, POM Wonderful’s wellness claims – if indeed the claims are unsubstantiated – do raise reasonable questions, considering their specificity. POM Wonderful even put out some ads once stating that its pomegranate juice will protect against PSA’s which are prostate! -specific antigens. This has not been proven in a scientifically rigorous manner, as outlined by the WSJ. Claims that haven’t been proven cause issues. Consumers may buy based upon off the false fact.

Find more information on this subject

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704654004575517871757238034.html?KEYWORDS=POM Wonderful

Protesting POM Wonderful’s animal testing (Warning: Some NSFW language is audible)

youtube.com/watch?v=htxIpHbl4lA