WASHINGTON -- A physicians group has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission charging a new high-profile ad campaign for milk targeted at women is deceptive.
ads, sponsored by the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board, a division of the Milk Industry Foundation, Washington, suggest drinking milk can prevent or improve symptoms of osteoporosis, a bone disease resulting from a lack of calcium.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, said that the ads obscure the fact that loss of bone mass is typically caused by excessive calcium loss, rather than inadequate intake. The group said increasing milk consumption is one of the weakest possible strategies for protecting the bones, and it is misleading to suggest otherwise.
In response to the charges, Jerry Kozak, senior vice president of the Milk Industry Foundation, said, "All of the claims made in conjunction with our milk education campaign are well within current Food and Drug Administration guidelines."
