Dairy Industry Halts Weight-Loss Ads
US - Two national dairy advertising campaigns overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture will stop claiming that dairy products cause weight loss because such claims are not supported by existing scientific research, the Federal Trade Commission has announced in a letter to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
15 May 2007
1 minute read
The decision, which comes in response to an FTC petition filed by PCRM, will end misleading claims made in the 'Milk Your Diet. Lose Weight' and '3-A-Day. Burn More Fat, Lose Weight' promotions.
In the FTC petition, PCRM charged that the dairy industry has used false and misleading advertising in its multimillion-dollar, celebrity-filled marketing campaign suggesting that consuming milk and other dairy products causes weight loss. In response, the FTC's Division of Advertising Practices met with USDA staff and representatives of the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board and the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board, who agreed to discontinue all advertising and other marketing activities involving weight-loss claims pending further research into the issue. The decision also applies to affiliated entities, including Dairy Management Inc.
