Nestle Warned About Health Claims on Kids’ Beverages

Posted on December 22, 2009 in Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine, Parenting

The Food and Drug Administration is warning food giant Nestle over what officials say are misleading claims made about the health benefits of some children’s beverages.

Juicy Juice and Boost Kid Essentials Nutritionally Complete brand drinks, which are aimed at children under age two, are promoted by Nestle as “medical food” with “no sugar added” but do not meet federal standards for those claims, the FDA said in warning letters sent to the company earlier this month.

The FDA said a review of the labeling on Juicy Juice Brain Development Fruit Juice Beverage (Apple), Juicy Juice All-Natural 100% Juice Orange Tangerine, and Juicy Juice All-Natural 100% Juice Grape determined the products are misbranded in violation of federal law.

The company’s BOOST Kid Essentials Nutritionally Complete Drink in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavors is illegally promoted as “medical food” suitable for treating the medical condition of “failure to thrive” in newborns and for “pre/post surgery, injury or trauma, chronic illnesses,” the FDA said.

Nestle has 15 days from receipt of the warning letters to tell the FDA how the company plans to bring its marketing of the drinks into compliance with federal laws. Failure to do so could result in further actions against the company, including seizure of the offending products and injunctions to stop their distribution, the FDA warned.