Dannon settles with US regulators over Activia claims

Danone’s US arm Dannon has settled with US regulators over claims the yogurt maker made when advertising probiotic products in the market. The US Federal Trade Commission says Danone agreed to drop “exaggerated” health claims on Activia yogurt and DanActive dairy drinks.
The FTC says that The Dannon Company had agreed to stop claiming that one daily serving of Activia relieves “irregularity” and that DanActive helps people avoid catching colds or flu. The regulator had accused Dannon of using “deceptive” advertising and not having “substantiation” for its claims. The dairy group’s assertion that its claims on Activia and DanActive were clinically proven were “false”, the FTC alleged.
The settlement between Danone and the FTC will see the former pay US$21 million (EUR15.8m) to 39 US states, which had launched their own inquiries into the advertising of the products. Under the settlement, Dannon cannot claim its products reduce the likelihood of getting a cold or the flu without approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. Dannon will only be able to claim Activia yogurt will relieve temporary irregularity or help with slow intestinal time if the ad conveys that a consumer will need to eat three servings of the yogurt each day.
Dannon says it was “pleased” to announce an agreement that “resolves all concerns” and allows the business to “advertise the core benefits of its products – that Activia helps to regulate the digestive system and DanActive helps to support the immune system”.