SubscribeJuice Maker Caught Red-Handed
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has been caught in a shocking case of misleading advertising. GSK makes a juice drink called Ribena. The drink is popular in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
Ribena has long been pushed as a "health" food for children. For years it has been advertised as being rich in Vitamin C. Two popular tag lines are "the unique Ribena Syrup taste with loads of vitamin C" and "The blackcurrants in Ribena have four times the vitamin C of oranges".
Incredibly - the product actually has no detectable Vitamin C - and GSK have been telling lies for over 4 years.
This amazing deception was uncovered by two NZ schoolgirls who, as part of a school project, decided to test Ribena for Vitamin C content. They couldn't find any Vitamin C, and were brushed off by GSK. The girls persevered and eventually their research made it to New Zealand's commerce commission who fined GSK NZ$217,000 (US$ 155,000).
From the NZ Herald editorial:
Somebody in Ribena's marketing must have imagined they were very clever. They would carefully cite the vitamin content of blackcurrants but not of the drink. Now that the deception has been discovered they have succeeded not only in exposing the complete absence of vitamins in the concoction but also, it seems to follow, an absence of blackcurrants. Whatever is in the carton besides dissolved sugar and flavoured water it is not something the makers want to promote.
This wasn't a mistake. It was a deliberate and calculated deception.
I can't say I'm shocked or even that surprised. More like resigned to these kinds of deceptions. And unless I'm the only one who's cynical about health claims from food manufacturers, I think that says a lot about our society.
ReplyI like how they finally got caught...
ReplyYet another reason to get the juice from the fruit itself...
Brian
ReplySweet. Brought down by schoolgirls.
ReplyNice.
ReplyShocking! Clear deception, that too in developed countries! Now I can guess what we're getting in my developing country India.
Replytwo many skin games,but I like fresh fruits more
ReplyDo I understand this correctly: The company put false nutritional information on the label???
ReplyOh my God - there goes my childhood! I'm a New Zealander and I fricking love(d) Ribena! It was just one of the foods and drinks that I was looking forward to eating in May (I'm going home for a holiday.)
I am so disappointed.
ReplyNot surprised. They lied before about it being kind for the teeth, saying dentists everywhere agreed. They're liars. Used to LOVE the strawberry- the last time I drank, I couldn't believe how sweet it is! WAY too sweet. I can't believe I used to drink that everyday...
ReplyNothing new here - the language of marketing is meaningless. Healthy? How can something full of sugar possibly be healthy, with or without vitamin C?
ReplyI didn't realize that this pharmaceutical company was also in the business of making beverages. Clearly they are more concerned with old mighty dollar (or English pound) than they are with the health and welfare of their customers.
ReplyNo wonder I got scurvy!!
Replyno vitamin c, no nutritional benefits, bad for teeth and those bottles are 256 cals a pop.
ReplyFor years my friends Mum has not allowed her to have Coca-Cola or anything like that in the house, and instead only let her have ribena because 'at least it has some good value' because of the black currents etc. I think the fine is measely because the public probably wont hear about this in a huge way and parents will still give it to their children thinking it's healthy. It's dispicable.
ReplyNo blackcurrants is to me, a bigger deception than no vitamin C. There should be legislation that it can only be called "juice" if it contains X% juice, just like they have legislation for the uses of "diet", "light", etc.
ReplyI agree with Brian. If you want fruit juice EAT THE FRUIT. This is not new. We have long understood the low nutritional value of 99% of the fruit juices on the market and the high calorie content. Drink water, eat fruit.
Replywww.thebestlifeever.com
I'm amazed that they've got away with this for so long. Advertising sugar and flavored water as a health drink is outrageous.
As for the Vitamin C -- that's arguably something we get plenty of in our diet anyway...
ReplyWhen I was in high school I used to drink Ribena if I was getting a cold! Bastards.
ReplyHey Kelly@dietfacts: pharmaceuticals companies are not interested in health - that would be bad for business!
ReplyI love it that it was two young teens that essentially blew the whistle! Consumers CAN make a difference.
I had been following this bit of news when it came out a few weeks ago...I did not read anywhere that there were also no blackcurrents as quoted by the NZ Herald?
But it is not surprising really when you think about how the syrup is processed. Prolonged heat will destroy Vit. C as most consumers know - some vitamins survive up to a certain temp...but not Vit C. So this was the ready made Ribena drink, their watered down syrup.
On German television they showed once how fruit syrups are made...lots of heat involved. Which is why - at least here in Europe - when a product similar to this says Vit C, it is added to the product after it has cooled...and of course it will be artificial product.
Yes, get the Vit C from your fresh vegetables and fruit like someone else here pointed out.
ReplyAnd I named my first born Ribena... oh the lies... oh the shame.
ReplyI am not sure why people are so shocked the UK did huge research into it in 1997 or there about and found it to be very damaging to children's health and that is why they brought out the tooth friendley version of the same chemical rubbish.
Anyone with the internet can research these proucts and find out the truth before the give it their kids.
I am convinced all those girls did was google the product!!!!!
ReplySTACY YOU ARE OH SO RIGHT FRUIT JUICES ARE HIGH IN SUGAR IT MAY BE NATURAL SUGAR ,BUT IT IS STILL SUGAR EAT THE FRUIT AND DRINK WATER YOU ARE BETTER OFF.IN THE LONG RUN NO MAGIC CURE
ReplyI'll never take a Ribena bath again!1!!11one
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