Busted: Cholesterol Claims
Cholesterol Claims Confound Cholesterol-battling plant stanol-based Benecol has been busted in the UK for exaggerating TV advert claims even though they were based on UK National Health Service, British Heart Foundation (BHF) and World Health Organization (WHO) data. A veteran healthy foods consultant called the ruling “stupid” and advised Raiso-owned Benecol’s UK license holder, Johnson & Johnson, to sue the UK agency in question. The ads for Benecol drinking yoghurt claimed, "two out of three adults have high cholesterol" in the UK, but the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the claim manipulated BHF and other data and, “ therefore exaggerated the health benefit of the product.” ‘Stupid?’ Despite being approved by the broadcast approver, Clearcast, the ASA also ruled the ad had inappropriately used an EU-approved cholesterol reducing claim by stating Benecol was, “proven to lower cholesterol by up to 10% in just three weeks." “This...