Environmental Working Group (EWG): Major Infant Bottled Water Company Providing Parents with Misleading and False Information
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1, 2008
12:03 PM
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CONTACT: Environmental Working Group (EWG)
Public Affairs (202) 667-6982
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Major Infant Bottled Water Company Providing Parents with Misleading and
False Information
About Benefits of Fluoride-Containing Water
Company using advertising and website to get around FDA decision to exclude
claims about the benefits of fluoride in water intended for infants
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WASHINGTON, DC - February 1 - One of the nation¹s biggest infant bottle water companies
Nursery Water - is misleading parents with erroneous information on its
website and advertising materials touting the safety and benefits of
fluoride in infant bottled water in clear violation of a Federal Trade
Commission rules, noted Environmental Working Group (EWG) scientists in a
letter sent today to officials at the FDA and FTC.
In an extensive review EWG uncovered how the company uses their website and
advertising materials to make claims for fluoridated water that either have
not been approved by the government and therefore cannot be put on labels,
and to misrepresent the positions of health authorities like the American
Academy of Pediatrics.
In their advertising materials, Nursery Water claims that fluoride in water
will ³strengthen your little one¹s teeth², and ³prevent tooth decay.² But in
2006, when approving similar health claims for fluoride in bottled water,
the Food and Drug Administration specifically excluded claims for products
like Nursery Water, stating ³the health claim is not intended for use on
bottled water products specifically marketed for use by infants.²
The company also flagrantly misrepresents the position of numerous health
authorities including the American Academy of Pediatrics, stating, for
example, that Nursery Water is, ³Made according to recommendations by the
American Academy of Pediatrics.² In fact the Academy recommends no
intentionally added fluoride at all for young infants, stating
³Supplementary fluoride should not be provided during the first six months
of life.²
³Nursery Water¹s behavior is completely irresponsible. They are misleading
parents, misrepresenting the facts, and placing profits above the health of
babies,² said EWG Vice President for Research Jane Houlihan.
Both the American Dental Association (ADA) and the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) have raised questions or published warnings about the risks of
fluoride for infants, driven by their susceptibility to fluoride-induced
damage to tooth enamel called fluorosis, a defect of the permanent teeth
resulting in staining and, in severe cases, substantial corrosion of the
enamel.
EWG¹s analysis shows that a significant percentage of infants drinking
between one and two bottles daily of powdered formula using Nursery Water
would be exposed to fluoride at levels the exceed the Environmental
Protection Agency¹s (EPA¹s) safe dose for infants, established to protect
against fluorosis. (EPA 1989)
An EPA mandated review of fluoride safety published in 2006 by the National
Academy of Sciences (NAS) raised further questions about additional risks,
including elevated rates of bone cancer (osteosarcoma), IQ reduction,
thyroid disruption, bone fractures, and a condition very similar to
arthritis called skeletal fluorisis.
Under the FFDCA, FDA requires manufacturers to submit a Health Claim
Notification prior to using a claim, and gives FDA the authority to deny the
claim under the law. In 2006 a law firm (Covington and Burling, LLP)
representing the bottled water industry submitted the required notification
for claims on tooth decay prevention, but specifically excluded water
marketed to infants in their request. FDA¹s health notification includes
the identical exclusion.
The FTCA prohibits the dissemination of false advertising of health claims
and gives FTC the authority to enjoin misleading statements. Nursery Water
is clearly trying to circumvent FDA¹s petition process for health claims by
limiting the assertion of unapproved or un-reviewed claims to advertising in
violation of FTC requirements.
In their letter to FDA and FTC calling for an investigation, EWG Senior
Scientists wrote, ³Among the misleading information the company publishes
are direct and implied claims that fluoride in water for infants is
recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the
American Dental Association (ADA), and the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP). Our review of these organization¹s positions on fluoride shows that
none of them support the use of added fluoride in water during infancy, when
risks for fluoride-induced tooth damage (fluorosis) and other potential
health impacts are higher than at other times of life.²
EWG is a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, DC that uses
the power of information to protect human health and the environment. The
group¹s letter and research on the issue can be found online
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