POM Juice May Be Mislabeling Benefits
Treats heart disease! Prevents cancers! Reduces the risk of erectile dysfunction Health claims on the POM Wonderful and POMx labels are officially deceptive according to the Federal Trade Commission. The 100 percent pomegranate juice represented itself as a health supplement without any substantial scientific findings to indicate a positive correlation between the juice and any reduction, treatment or prevention of heart disease, cancers or erectile dysfunction.
The official ruling regarding POM forbids the company from releasing any statement that it €is effective in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of any disease, including, but not limited to, any representation that the product will treat, prevent, or reduce the risk€ of the previously mentioned diseases €unless the claim has received prior approval from the Food and Drug Administration in accordance with Food and Drug Administration statutes and regulations.€
Making false claims in advertising has a range of serious consequences. In this case, the POM drink claimed to prevent serious disease like cancer without real proof. If the consumer were to forgo other, proven cancer prevention techniques in favor of the POM regimen then that person could be injured or harmed. Health benefits may be had by those who consume POM, but not to the extent that was advertised.
Additionally, the courts found that the way the information was presented on POM labels could not be interpreted in another fashion. Part of the company's defense against the Federal Trade Commission complaints is that the First Amendment protects their labeling. However, the labeling misrepresents POM as effective when the product has no approval from the Food and Drug Administration and no tests to substantiate the claims.
The first complaints regarding POM were filed with the Federal Trade Commission in 2010. The company advertised in a few high profile publications regarding the healthy benefits of using the product regularly. Some of the statements included:
€SUPER HEALTH POWERS! €¦ 100% PURE POMEGRANATE JUICE. €¦ Backed by $25 million in medical research. Proven to fight for cardiovascular, prostate and erectile health.€
€NEW RESEARCH OFFERS FURTHER PROOF OF THE HEART-HEALTHY BENEFITS OF POM WONDERFUL JUICE. 30% DECREASE IN ARTERIAL PLAQUE €¦ 17% IMPROVED BLOOD FLOW €¦ PROMOTES HEALTHY BLOOD VESSELS €¦ €
€You have to be on pomegranate juice. You have a 50 percent chance of getting [prostate cancer]. Listen to me. It is the one thing that will keep your PSA normal. You have to drink pomegranate juice. There is nothing else we know of that will keep your PSA in check. €¦ It's also 40 percent as effective as Viagra.€
Clinical studies prove that POM Juice and POMx prevent, reduce the risk of, and treat heart disease, including by decreasing arterial plaque, lowering blood pressure, and improving blood flow to the heart
Clinical studies prove that POM Juice and POMx prevent, reduce the risk of, and treat prostate cancer, including by prolonging prostate-specific antigen doubling time
Clinical studies prove that POM Juice prevents, reduces the risk of, and treats, erectile dysfunction.
These statements were printed in widely disseminated publications like Parade, Prevention, Fitness and The New York Times. Prevention and Fitness in particular are magazines that focus on health related issues. The statements about clinical studies were proven to be misleading because none of the studies proved POM is any more effective than a placebo.
Affected by a recall or mislabeling of a product? Contact a personal injury attorney at Accident Attorney's Group who can help you assess if you have a case.
The official ruling regarding POM forbids the company from releasing any statement that it €is effective in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of any disease, including, but not limited to, any representation that the product will treat, prevent, or reduce the risk€ of the previously mentioned diseases €unless the claim has received prior approval from the Food and Drug Administration in accordance with Food and Drug Administration statutes and regulations.€
Making false claims in advertising has a range of serious consequences. In this case, the POM drink claimed to prevent serious disease like cancer without real proof. If the consumer were to forgo other, proven cancer prevention techniques in favor of the POM regimen then that person could be injured or harmed. Health benefits may be had by those who consume POM, but not to the extent that was advertised.
Additionally, the courts found that the way the information was presented on POM labels could not be interpreted in another fashion. Part of the company's defense against the Federal Trade Commission complaints is that the First Amendment protects their labeling. However, the labeling misrepresents POM as effective when the product has no approval from the Food and Drug Administration and no tests to substantiate the claims.
The first complaints regarding POM were filed with the Federal Trade Commission in 2010. The company advertised in a few high profile publications regarding the healthy benefits of using the product regularly. Some of the statements included:
€SUPER HEALTH POWERS! €¦ 100% PURE POMEGRANATE JUICE. €¦ Backed by $25 million in medical research. Proven to fight for cardiovascular, prostate and erectile health.€
€NEW RESEARCH OFFERS FURTHER PROOF OF THE HEART-HEALTHY BENEFITS OF POM WONDERFUL JUICE. 30% DECREASE IN ARTERIAL PLAQUE €¦ 17% IMPROVED BLOOD FLOW €¦ PROMOTES HEALTHY BLOOD VESSELS €¦ €
€You have to be on pomegranate juice. You have a 50 percent chance of getting [prostate cancer]. Listen to me. It is the one thing that will keep your PSA normal. You have to drink pomegranate juice. There is nothing else we know of that will keep your PSA in check. €¦ It's also 40 percent as effective as Viagra.€
Clinical studies prove that POM Juice and POMx prevent, reduce the risk of, and treat heart disease, including by decreasing arterial plaque, lowering blood pressure, and improving blood flow to the heart
Clinical studies prove that POM Juice and POMx prevent, reduce the risk of, and treat prostate cancer, including by prolonging prostate-specific antigen doubling time
Clinical studies prove that POM Juice prevents, reduces the risk of, and treats, erectile dysfunction.
These statements were printed in widely disseminated publications like Parade, Prevention, Fitness and The New York Times. Prevention and Fitness in particular are magazines that focus on health related issues. The statements about clinical studies were proven to be misleading because none of the studies proved POM is any more effective than a placebo.
Affected by a recall or mislabeling of a product? Contact a personal injury attorney at Accident Attorney's Group who can help you assess if you have a case.
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