The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned advertisers not to make health claims they cannot substantiate following a case with Interstate Bakeries, the manufacturer behind Wonder Bread.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Interstate Bakeries’ Wonder Bread product is marketed on health benefits as well as taste and value. The group has long flaunted the role of the vitamins and minerals it contains in helping children grow strong, but the disputed claim argued that Wonder Bread contained added calcium that could improve children’s brain function and memory.
Interstate was unable to offer proof that calcium could improve brain function, which left the group wide open to claims it violated federal law. Regulators have reached settlement with the group.
In an interesting development, the FTC also struck out at Campbell Mithun LLC, Interstate’s advertising agency. Mary K. Eagle, associate director of the advertising practices division in the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, was quoted as saying the ad agency was also guilty of violating federal law “because they knew the claims were not substantiated”.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalData
