Washington, D.C. —The Natural Products Foundation’s (NPF) Truth in Advertising program mailed 150 warning letters in 2013.

Established in 2010 to ensure the industry is providing accurate and truthful information about natural products to consumers, the program has reviewed a total of 575 advertising cases and sent 385 warning letters to companies whose advertising may have been misleading. Of those who received letters, 73.5% acknowledged the problems in their advertising and worked towards full compliance with industry regulations.

The Truth in Advertising Pledge details multiple guidelines for advertisers, including not to make false claims and to verify that there is adequate substantiation for any claims that are made. These guidelines are based on regulations established by the FD&C Act, DSHEA and the Federal Trade Commission Act.

David Brown, NPF Chairman, spoke about the success of the program at SupplySide West in November, saying, “The vast majority of companies in this industry are knowledgeable, responsible, and want to do the right thing…so they’re taking steps to make sure that they’re in compliance.”

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, February 2014 (online 12/13/13)