05.03.10
The National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus has recommended that Pharmavite LLC, Northridge, CA, discontinue marketing “Nature Made Prenatal Multi + DHA Liquid Softgels” as “complete” prenatal vitamins until it has conducted further testing to establish the bioavailability of folic acid in the product. Pharmavite has agreed to do so. NAD, the advertising industry’s self-regulatory forum, examined advertising and labeling claims for the product following a challenge by Perrigo Company, maker of competing dietary supplements. At issue for NAD in this proceeding was whether the folic acid in the product had been shown by competent and reliable scientific evidence to be fully bioavailable to the user. Pharmavite responded to the challenge saying it employs stringent standards to manufacture Nature Made brand dietary supplements, and that the product in question meets all FDA and U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) standards for folic acid-containing prenatal products with related health claims. The company said it has complete confidence in the product and that the folic acid is available for absorption by expectant mothers.
