The makers of Pom brand pomegranate juice have been charged with making false and unsubstantiated claims by the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC says that there is no reliable data to support Pom’s position that pomegranate juice will prevent or treat heart disease, prostate cancer or erectile dysfunction.
The FTC says in its complaint that the studies that Pom claims support their position that pomegranate’s is effective fighting cancer, heart disease and erectile dysfunction do not, in fact, support these claims. Pom funded these studies and the FTC says these studies were not properly designed.
The owners of Pom are fighting back and have filed suit in federal district court saying that the FTC has overstepped its boundaries and are violating Pom’s First Amendment rights. Pom’s position is, “We do not make claims that our products act as drugs. What we do, rather, is communicate, through advertising, the promising science relating to pomegranates. (their emphasis)”
I’m not too sure about this line of defense. Pom has an advertising campaign with the phrase, “Cheat Death,” accompanied by a picture their pomegranate juice with a noose around the neck of the bottle. Sounds like a lot more than communicating promising science, doesn’t it?
I do not believe any of the claims made in the name of these so-called “Super Foods.” I have seen the claims made by pomegranate hucksters and have read what constitutes proof, and it’s all fishy. Pom is no worse than any of the others who pimp pomegranate juice.
Do a Google search for, “pomegranate juice,” and you’ll see very little difference between the claims made by Pom and their competitors. However, my bet is that Pom has the deepest pockets, which is why they are a target of the FTC.
Pom is owned by billionaire philanthropists Lynda and Steward Resnick, who also own Telaflora and Fiji bottled water. The squeaky wheel is the target of the lawsuit. Regardless of what happens in this case, be wary of any of these, “Superfood” claims.
