I f youre counting on pomegranate juice to reduce your risk of heart disease, prostate cancer or impotence, you might want to think before you sip. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has charged juice-maker Pom Won- derful and top corporate executives with making false and unsubstantiated claims about the drinks health benefts. According to the FTC, the company ignored evidence contradicting health claims for Pom Wonderful, including studies that found the antioxidant-rich juice no more effective than a placebo. In May 2007, for instance, a large com- pany-fnanced study found no differ- ence in arterial plaque buildup between those drinking Pom Wonderful and those sipping a placebo for 18 months. In response, Pom Wonderful executives cited the $34 million the company has spent on pomegranate research and charged the FTC with violating their First Amendment rights.While the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates health- claim labeling, the FTC polices false ad- vertising. The FTC is seeking an order requiring Pom Wonderful to get FDA approval before making any health claims; a hearing on the case wont be held until next May.
