Infinity Superfoods Voluntarily Discontinues Social Media and Blog Post for Infinity-C Following NAD Inquiry into Implied COVID-19 Messages
For Immediate Release
Contact: Abby Hills, Director of Communications, BBB National Programs
703.247.9330 / press@bbbnp.org
New York, NY – August 27, 2020 – Following an inquiry by the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs, Infinity Superfoods discontinued a social media post and related blog posts for its Infinity-C dietary supplement.
Through its routine monitoring program, NAD challenged Infinity Superfoods’ social media post for Infinity-C including an image with the text:
- “The Link Between Vitamin C and the Coronavirus” and associated text stating,
- “Twenty-three hospitals, alone, in New York are now treating patients who test positive for COVID-19 with large doses of vitamin C. While this is an extraordinary breakthrough in the medical world, high Vitamin C foods have proven for millennia to do far more for our health than just fighting off the winter bug. Infinity-C works by delivering 1000mg of real Vitamin C per serving purely from plant foods for a 100% absorption rate, making it a superior upgrade from the all-too-common ascorbic acid. Just one tablespoon of Infinity-C contains the vitamin C content of fourteen oranges, making Infinity-C an incomparable immune-boosting powerhouse.”
NAD also challenged a link to a blog post referring to the use of Vitamin C to treat COVID-19 patients.
NAD inquired as to whether the challenged advertising conveyed the implied message that taking Infinity-C protects users against COVID-19.
NAD noted that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have both stated that there are no approved vaccines, drugs, or investigational products currently available to treat or prevent COVID-19. Both the FDA and The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have issued dozens of warning letters to companies making claims about their products’ ability to treat or prevent COVID-19. Health and safety concerns are a top priority for NAD’s monitoring efforts, with particular attention currently focused on advertising for COVID-19 treatments.
In response to NAD’s inquiry, Infinity Superfoods voluntarily discontinued the social media post in question, as well as the related blog post. The advertiser also discontinued implied claims identified during NAD’s inquiry, including:
- Claims on Infinity-C product pages implying that the product is effective in treating COVID-19 by referring to articles or studies on the benefits of Vitamin C and its impact on fighting disease in the context of preventing or treating COVID-19; and
- A reference to studies deemed to be efficacious in treating COVID-19.
The advertiser also modified a Facebook post touting the immunity benefits of Infinity-C to remove the reference to “now is needed more than ever” in the claim “The power of a healthy immune system is massive – and now is needed more than ever.”
NAD appreciates the advertiser’s discontinuance and modification of the statements at issue, as well as its commitment to avoid making any express or implied claims that promote its product’s ability to protect consumers against COVID-19.
In its advertiser’s statement, Infinity Superfoods stated that it “will not expressly and/or impliedly claim that its products cure or treat COVID-19” and expressed its appreciation for participating in the advertising self-regulatory process.
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About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs is where businesses turn to enhance consumer trust and consumers are heard. The non-profit organization creates a fairer playing field for businesses and a better experience for consumers through the development and delivery of effective third-party accountability and dispute resolution programs. Embracing its role as an independent organization since the restructuring of the Council of Better Business Bureaus in June 2019, BBB National Programs today oversees more than a dozen leading national industry self-regulation programs, and continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-directed marketing, and privacy. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.
About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division (NAD), a division of BBB National Programs, provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and leveling the playing field for business.
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