Nestlé HCN Agrees To Stop “Deceptive Advertising Claims” For Probiotic Children’s Drink

In a unanimous vote, the Federal Trade Commission has ordered a Nestlé S.A. subsidiary to stop deceptive advertising claims of the health benefits of its BOOST Kid Essentials probiotic drink. The first FTC challenge of company advertising for probiotic products, the order requires the company to stop claiming – without FDA approval – that BOOST Kid Essentials reduces the risk of colds, flu, and other upper respiratory tract infections; stop claiming – without clinical trial evidence – that BOOST reduces children’s sick-day absences in children up to age 13; and to not make any claims about the health benefits, performance, or efficacy of any probiotic or nutritionally complete drinks sold at retail without “reliable scientific evidence.”