Kellogg Co. has reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over charges that some of its advertising claims for Frosted Mini-Wheats were false.
The FTC said that Kellogg promoted the cereal as “clinically shown to improve kids’ attentiveness by nearly 20%,” when in fact the study referred to in the ads showed different results.
The study found that only about half the children who ate Frosted Mini-Wheats for breakfast showed any improvement in attentiveness, and only about one in nine improved by 20% or more, the FTC said.
The FTC said the claim was false and violated federal law.
Kellogg released a statement saying, the company “has a long history of responsible advertising. We stand behind the validity of our clinical study, yet have adjusted our communication to incorporate FTC’s guidance.”
The claims were made across an integrated national marketing program that included TV, print, online ads and product packaging.
The proposed settlement bars Kellogg from making deceptive or misleading cognitive health claims for its breakfast foods and snack foods, and bars the company from misrepresenting any tests or studies, the FTC said. The settlement also includes record-keeping provisions that allow the agency to monitor compliance.
A similar claim in a different TV spot was also challenged and alleged to be false, the FTC said.
“We tell consumers that they should deal with trusted national brands,” FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a release. “So it’s especially important that America’s leading companies are more ‘attentive’ to the truthfulness of their ads and don’t exaggerate the results of tests or research. In the future, the Commission will certainly be more attentive to national advertisers.”
The Center for Science in the Public Interest applauded the settlement.
“The astonishing claims made by Kellogg that its Frosted Mini-Wheats improved children’s attentiveness by 20% were laughable on their face and never should have surfaced in an advertising campaign by a major food manufacturer,” CSPI said.
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