Dannon Agrees To Drop Deceptive Health Claims For Activia, DanActive

Under pressure from the FTC, the Dannon Company has agreed to drop exaggerated health benefit claims for its Activia yogurt and DanActive dairy drink. Specifically, the company agreed to stop saying that one daily serving of Activia relieves irregularity, and that DanActive helps people avoid catching colds or the flu. According to the FTC’s complaint, Dannon made the claims in its ads and on product packaging, while also stating that the claims were scientifically proven. The FTC charged that Dannon’s ads were deceptive because there was no substantiation for the claims and no clinical proof as Dannon had said. Under the settlement, Dannon is barred from claiming that any yogurt, dairy drink, or probiotic food or drink reduces the likelihood of getting a cold or the flu.