Beware of tricky ads
By Faraza Farook
The Health Ministry last week warned consumers to be cautious about exaggerated health claims made in newspaper advertisements and TV/radio commercials. "Certain claims though technically correct have some misleading elements," Chief Food and Drugs Inspector of the Food Control Administration Unit of the Health Ministry, S. Nagiah said.

Several such advertisements have been identified but action has not been taken. "We have found a large number. TV advertisements in particular are a tricky issue," he said adding, "a code of ethics for media advertisements is soon be implemented".

A voluntary code of ethics has been drafted and is awaiting observations from a cross section of society before it is finally implemented. Manufacturers who fail to adhere to this code will be 'quoted' or black marked and would lose credibility. Today, only commercials for milk foods are subject to checks prior to advertising.

Some of the advertisements, especially on TV mislead consumers into believing that a particular product has beneficial properties its rivals do not have. For instance, an advertisement on vegetable oil may state it is rich in Vitamin E and is cholesterol free. The fact that it is cholesterol free is technically correct, but all vegetable oils enjoy that trait. Therefore, by specifically stating that the oil is cholesterol free, the brand gets an edge over other brands of the same product.

Some of the prohibited claims include those implying that a balanced diet or ordinary food cannot supply an adequate amount of all nutrients, claims that cannot be substantiated or those which guarantee the prevention, treatment or cure of a disease or a particular physiological condition.

The Health Ministry has proposed amendments to regulations under the Food Act with special emphasis on labeling.

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