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Have you been mislead by a label or marketing showing false information?



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		Alex Avery October 31, 2007



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Land O'Lakes

Products: Milk

Labels, Web pages, advertisements, in-store displays and all marketing materials associated with specific food products must meet federal and state government regulations for truthful and non-misleading claims in all particulars. Independent research, government guidelines, and other government regulatory actions finds that the absence and/or other production-related claims found on these food label or marketing materials may be false or misleading. False and misleading food marketing claims are illegal and harm both consumers and producers. We urge all retailers and food packagers to protect consumers and farmers by fully complying with truthful and non-misleading food marketing rules.

EXAMPLES OF PRODUCT, ADVERTISING OR RELATED MARKETING*

Land O'Lakes Original milk is found in Minnesota, Wisconsin and other parts of the upper Midwest. Land O'Lakes Original milk labels it’s milk with claims associated with non-use of rbST and appears to include accompanying U.S. Food and Drug Administration guideline language noting that that the milk is no different than cows not receiving supplements. While their placement of the FDA-required disclaimer (found on the back panel and in a significantly smaller font size than the front panel absence claim) probably violates the proximity and visibility standards – they at least make this effort.

However, Land O'Lakes Original milk advertisements and marketing material found in-stores and running on various radio stations make general hormone claims which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined to be false and misleading. Land O'Lakes Original milk claims “no added hormones” in these ads and marketing materials; however, the supplemental hormone rbST is NOT added to milk – it is only given to the cow to help increase milk production and does not alter the milk in any way.

Land O'Lakes Original milk does, however, add Vitamin D3 to its milk. Vitamin D3 is a hormone, and thus Land O'Lakes Original milk DOES contain added hormones, making these advertisements false.

Click here to view other Land O'Lakes misleading labels.

EXAMPLES OF FALSE OR MISLEADING CLAIMS TYPICALLY FOUND*

The TRUTH about "No Hormone" Claims

All milk produced by cows contains hormones as part of the normal biology of reproduction and lactation. There is no such thing as hormone-free milk.

Read the FDA “No Hormones” Claims Press Release at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fprbst.html

The TRUTH about rbST Claims

Before the 1993 approval of rbST (recombinant bovine somatotropin, also called rbGH or bovine growth hormone), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that the recombinant form of bST is virtually identical to a cow's natural somatotropin, a hormone produced in the pituitary gland that stimulates the production of milk. During that rbST approval process, FDA concluded that there is no difference between milk from treated and untreated cows. This finding has been reviewed and endorsed by such independent groups as the American Medical Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, and the World Health Organization. For this reason, FDA concluded it does not have the authority to require special labeling for milk and dairy products from rbST-treated cows, and that producers have no basis for claiming that milk from cows not treated with rbST is safer or any different than milk from rbST-treated cows. As such, FDA guidelines have been established regarding what truthful and non-misleading label and marketing-related claims can be used by processors wishing to market milk which has not come from cows receiving this supplement. Read more from the FDA and Cornell University statement at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~ear/CORBST.html

* If you know about a false or misleading label or related marketing claim contact us at contact@stoplabelinglies.com. Examples found here have been collected over the past several years dating back to 2001. They are from various stores and different regions of the country. Some examples may have changed or differ from region-to-region or in different stores. All examples found are presented here, including some which may no longer be available, to provide both the context and history of false or misleading marketing. Different labels and corresponding marketing materials may not contain all of the false or misleading claims noted; they are presented as sold and/or marketed at the time of purchase or discovery. If this page concerns your product and you’ve made changes to your marketing materials please contact us – we’ll add and promote any verifiable changes to labels, advertisements or marketing materials which are provided to us.

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