A-Gong Wei and Taiyen's "End Obesity" Ads Ruled Exaggerated and Untrue
"End obesity," "defeat body fat," "eat this and less than one can will bring your high blood pressure down to the standard level"... On local TV stations and radio there are always many food products marketed under the banners of weight loss, lowering blood pressure and preventing osteoporosis, yet they in fact have no therapeutic effect. The Food and Drug Administration today released last year's list of violations found in advertising inspections, including Taiyen Yow Ching Su and A-Gong Wei's health-food-certified Slim & Shapely Beauty Slimming Set, whose advertisements were exaggerated and untrue. The FDA urges the public not to readily believe advertisements, and if in doubt, to check the "Public Inquiry System for Violating Food, Drug and Cosmetic Advertisements."
Many Consumer Advertisement Violations
Food provides the nutrients and calories the human body needs and does not have any therapeutic effect, yet many consumer advertisements always make exaggerated claims. Last year the FDA monitored electronic media advertisements and found 1,102 violating advertisements in total, of which food products accounted for as much as 70%, while cosmetics and drugs each accounted for more than 10%.
Among the food advertisement violations, ranked by number of violations, the top 5 were respectively Teacher Huang Ma-Li's Xi'er Fa a Sha Yi Xian Xian Natural Super Value Set, Taiyen Yow Ching Su, Nature Calcium Bu Le, San Sheng Jing Bao and A-Gong Wei's health-food-certified Hong Shen Xian Health Slimming Set.
Among them, although Taiyen Yow Ching Su and A-Gong Wei's health-food-certified Hong Shen Xian Health Slimming Set are registered as health foods, Chih Lan-Hui, deputy head of the FDA's Planning and Technology Management Division, said these two types of health food can at most only claim "less likely to form body fat," but the advertisements stated terms such as "defeat body fat" and "help reduce body weight," which easily lead consumers to misread them as having a slimming effect. They were therefore fined 520,000 and 450,000 respectively.
Ranked 4th in number of violations, San Sheng Jing Bao is a repeat-offender product; it was caught violating 13 times the year before last, and last year was still caught violating 6 times and fined 240,000 yuan. Chih Lan-Hui pointed out that if such products repeat the offense, in addition to the original fine of 40,000 to 4,000,000 yuan under Article 28 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, an additional heavier fine of 120,000 to 600,000 yuan may be imposed under the same provision, and each time a violation is seen, another fine is imposed.
Chih Lan-Hui stressed that food can only provide the human body with nutrients and does not have functions such as weight loss or lowering blood pressure; if there is a need, the correct approach is to seek proper medical channels or set up a regular exercise plan.
Chih Lan-Hui reminded that consumers should be more alert before buying, and if in doubt, they can check the "Public Inquiry System for Violating Food, Drug and Cosmetic Advertisements," or call the 1919 national food safety hotline to report.
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