FACTS, FADS AND FRAUDS IN NUTRITION 17 



VITAMIN CLAIMS IN ADVERTISING 



Popular interest in vitamins may be partly the cause and partly the result 

 of the extensive use of the vitamin appeal in advertising. The subject is 

 nutritionally important and as such deserves attention from the consumer. 

 Some of the agitation for an increased vitamin content of the daily diet is 

 proper and beneficial. The use of more fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain 

 products is encouraged as a means of increasing the intake of various vitamins. 

 In fact there is no serious objection to the reasonable fortification of food 

 products with vitamin concentrates or with natural foods rich in vitamins but, 

 with few exceptions, there seems to be little necessity for such vitamin forti- 

 fication. Nevertheless, advertisers tend to exploit the public by their indefinite 

 and general vitamin claims for specific foods or food preparations. Such claims 

 mean almost nothing unless the specific vitamin or vitamins are designated 

 and unless the - quantity of the factor present is significant. 



The Council on Foods again finds it necessary to define a stand to be taken 

 in the matter of vitamin advertising from which we quote.: 1 



It is desirable that warranted vitamin claims be expressed in appro- 

 priate terms indicative of the relative potency of the food as a source of 

 the vitamins in the dietary schedule. Foods may be considered relatively 

 as fair, good and excellent or rich sources of vitamins. Statements of 

 vitamin unitage in numerical quantities per gram (and per ounce if 

 desired), where established, are to be encouraged on container labels and 

 in advertising. The type of unit used should be specified. 



1. GENERAL VITAMIN CLAIMS — UNWARRANTED 



The various and startling therapeutic values ascribed to some of these so- 

 called vitamin concentrates should arouse skepticism among any but the most 

 gullible. Some of the products contain only traces of certain vitamins, while 

 the advertising copy implies the presence of all vitamins in concentrated form. 

 Vitamins A and C were absent from one product advertised as containing all 

 known vitamins, while several with similar claims contained no appreciable 

 amounts of any vitamin. The "health giving vitamins," which could not be 

 discovered at all in one product, were purported to "enrich the blood . . . 

 strengthen the nerves . . . increase weight and energy . . . aid digestion 

 . . . correct constipation . . . clear the skin," and in general "act as a 

 tonic in . . . run down conditions." 



There is no intention of belittling the nutritive value of vitamins; but such 

 false propaganda as that just cited makes the layman skeptical of legitimate 

 claims which will be mentioned later. Several proprietary products have been 

 publicly censured for unwarranted or misleading claims made with regard to 

 their general vitamin content. Some others not listed here are subject to 

 similar criticism. 



1 Reference 1 on page 4. 



