Splenda Marketing Campaign Seeks to Mislead, Confuse Consumers
Generation Green asks the FTC to Investigate
WASHINGTON – Generation Green today called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the misleading marketing campaign being conducted by Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Nutritionals LLC for its artificial sweetener, Splenda.
McNeil is intentionally misleading and confusing consumers into believing that Splenda is natural by repeatedly using the word ‘sugar’ in its advertising campaign,” said Generation Green Executive Director Rochelle Davis. “This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Splenda is a man-made chemical compound unrecognizable as sugar.”
Given that McNeil has absolutely no basis for suggesting that Splenda and sugar are closely linked and equally natural products, Generation Green’s letter urges FTC regulators to halt McNeil’s misleading advertising campaign and to compel the company to disseminate accurate information to its customers.
Generation Green is an advocacy group made up of parents and other concerned citizens favoring corporate and governmental policies that will allow children to grow up protected from exposure to toxins.
“Any substance whose listed ingredients include 4-cholo-4deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl1 cannot be considered natural,” Ms. Davis said. Phosgene, one of the chemicals used in making Splenda is described by the Centers for Disease Control as a major industrial chemical used to make plastics and pesticides. “Parents need to have accurate information in order to make appropriate food choices for their families,” she added.
McNeil has no reasonable basis for its marketing slogan, “made from SUGAR so its tastes like SUGAR.” In fact, Splenda is a chemically created product that uses chemicals such as chlorine and phosgene, a poisonous gas. Moreover, the Splenda ingredient label doesn’t even list sugar as an ingredient.
McNeil’s own scientists have even conceded that any casual link between sucrose and Splenda’s sweet taste is “impossible to prove. ” The complex chemical process involved in making Splenda is hardly what a consumer would expect from a sweetener being touted as being “made from sugar.”
Recently, the company expanded its advertising campaign to include a new Splenda product that can be used as a sugar substitute in baking. According to the letter, the marketing of this new use is an effort to further confuse consumers and reinforce the notion that Splenda is a sugar product.
Notably, with the introduction of this baking product, Splenda is now cutting into the market share not only of artificial sweeteners but of natural sweeteners like sugar itself. The fact that Splenda is now competing directly with natural sweeteners suggests the extraordinary success of the company’s deceptive message that Splenda is natural and sugar-based.
Although McNeil hasn’t labeled Splenda as natural, its advertising efforts have certainly conveyed that message effectively. The Generation Green letter cites a disturbing examples of this perception that Splenda is natural. In one such example, Dr. Arthur Agatston, a well-known cardiologist and author of the South Beach Diet said “Splenda is natural,” when asked by a consumer during an on-line forum whether Splenda could be harmful. According to Ms. Davis, “this is a dangerous development, as the product is anything but natural.”
Advertisers and ad agencies must have a reasonable basis for advertising claims, and this requirement is especially important when consumer health and safety is at issue.
“Generation Green is especially concerned that many of the Splenda ads focus on images of children and emphasize the use of Splenda for children,” said Davis. “What’s more, as Splenda shows up in products like breakfast cereals, reduced calorie fruit juices and snack foods, the impact of McNeil’s deceptive advertising, if it is allowed to continue, is inevitably going to be much greater consumption of this unnatural product by our children. Parents have the right to know that Splenda is not just like sugar,” Davis concluded.
If you have information or questions, CONTACT:
Bob Brandon, Project Director
202-331-1550.