Splenda Marketing Campaign Seeks to Mislead, Confuse Consumers

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Splenda Marketing Campaign Seeks to Mislead, Confuse Consumers JoAnn Guest

May 29, 2005 18:17 PDT

 

Generation Green asks the FTC to Investigate

http://www.generationgreen.org/2005-01_lead-story.htm

Thursday, January 13, 2005

 

WASHINGTON – Generation Green today called on the Federal Trade

Commission (FTC) to investigate the misleading marketing campaign being

conducted by Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Nutritionals LLC for its

artificial sweetener, Splenda.

 

McNeil is intentionally misleading and confusing consumers into

believing that Splenda is natural by repeatedly using the word ‘sugar’

in its advertising campaign,” said Generation Green Executive Director

Rochelle Davis. “This couldn't be farther from the truth. Splenda is a

man-made chemical compound unrecognizable as sugar. "

 

Given that McNeil has absolutely no basis for suggesting that Splenda

and sugar are closely linked and equally natural products, Generation

Green’s letter urges FTC regulators to halt McNeil's misleading

advertising campaign and to compel the company to disseminate accurate

information to its customers.

 

Generation Green is an advocacy group made up of parents and other

concerned citizens favoring corporate and governmental policies that

will allow children to grow up protected from exposure to toxins.

 

“Any substance whose listed ingredients include

4-cholo-4deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl1 cannot be considered natural,”

Ms. Davis said. Phosgene, one of the chemicals used in making Splenda is

described by the Centers for Disease Control as a major industrial

chemical used to make plastics and pesticides. “Parents need to have

accurate information in order to make appropriate food choices for their

families,” she added.

 

McNeil has no reasonable basis for its marketing slogan, “made from

SUGAR so its tastes like SUGAR.” In fact, Splenda is a chemically

created product that uses chemicals such as chlorine and phosgene, a

poisonous gas. Moreover, the Splenda ingredient label doesn't even list

sugar as an ingredient.

 

McNeil's own scientists have even conceded that any casual link between

sucrose and Splenda's sweet taste is “impossible to prove. ” The complex

chemical process involved in making Splenda is hardly what a consumer

would expect from a sweetener being touted as being “made from sugar.”

 

Recently, the company expanded its advertising campaign to include a new

Splenda product that can be used as a sugar substitute in baking.

According to the letter, the marketing of this new use is an effort to

further confuse consumers and reinforce the notion that Splenda is a

sugar product.

 

Notably, with the introduction of this baking product, Splenda is now

cutting into the market share not only of artificial sweeteners but of

natural sweeteners like sugar itself. The fact that Splenda is now

competing directly with natural sweeteners suggests the extraordinary

success of the company’s deceptive message that Splenda is natural and

sugar-based.

 

Although McNeil hasn’t labeled Splenda as natural, its advertising

efforts have certainly conveyed that message effectively. The Generation

Green letter cites a disturbing examples of this perception that Splenda

is natural. In one such example, Dr. Arthur Agatston, a well-known

cardiologist and author of the South Beach Diet said “Splenda is

natural,” when asked by a consumer during an on-line forum whether

Splenda could be harmful. According to Ms. Davis, “this is a dangerous

development, as the product is anything but natural.”

 

Advertisers and ad agencies must have a reasonable basis for advertising

claims, and this requirement is especially important when consumer

health and safety is at issue.

 

“Generation Green is especially concerned that many of the Splenda ads

focus on images of children and emphasize the use of Splenda for

children,” said Davis. “What’s more, as Splenda shows up in products

like breakfast cereals, reduced calorie fruit juices and snack foods,

the impact of McNeil’s deceptive advertising, if it is allowed to

continue, is inevitably going to be much greater consumption of this

unnatural product by our children. Parents have the right to know that

Splenda is not just like sugar,” Davis concluded.

 

If you have information or questions, CONTACT:

Bob Brandon, Project Director

202-331-1550.

 

Generation Green's letter to the FTC

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

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