Tooth friendly?

Nutrition & Food Science

ISSN: 0034-6659

Article publication date: 1 August 2001

59

Citation

(2001), "Tooth friendly?", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 31 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2001.01731dab.005

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2001, MCB UP Limited


Tooth friendly?

Tooth friendly?

After two and half years, four rounds of evidence, three interim judgements, two scientific assessments by dental experts and two appeals, GlaxoSmithKline has been found guilty of misleading the public by claiming that its soft drink Ribena Tooth Kind does not encourage tooth decay. The decision is significant for food marketing and public health because it comes just as the European Union is preparing a directive on health claims for food. At its launch in 1998 with a £10 million promotional budget centred on the drink's alleged dental safety, Ribena Tooth Kind was the most prominent functional food in the UK. The legal rejection of its claims is a milestone in consumer protection.

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