US cereal giant Kellogg has agreed to withdraw claims that consumption of Frosted Mini-Wheats improved children’s attentiveness by 20%.
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The US Federal Trade Commission revealed today (20 April) that it has reached an agreement with Kellogg to settle charges that it made misleading advertising claims for its Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal.
The FTC found that the study on which Kellogg based its claims found only half of children benefited from eating Frosted Mini-Wheats. Only 11% of children in the study saw concentration improve 20%.
Responding to the announcement, Kellogg said: “Kellogg Company has a long history of responsible advertising. We stand behind the validity of our clinical study yet have adjusted our communication to incorporate FTC’s guidance.”
The news has been welcomed by US consumer group the Centre for Science in the Public Interest.
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By GlobalData“The settlement… is a strong sign the false advertising cop is back on the beat, and the agency will no longer tolerate misleading health claims,” legal affairs director Bruce Silverglade said.
However, Silverglade suggested that the FTC and US could get tougher with food companies who make misleading claims.
“The FTC could require much stronger remedies, such as corrective advertising. In addition, Congress should expand the FTC’s authority to level civil penalties.”
