Since When Does Listerine Fight the Flu?

I was going through my Sunday paper, perusing the weekly ads to compile my grocery list for the week when I came across a particular big-box store’s ad with a feature called “Fight the Flu”. In our world of dietary supplements, we would not dare to use such language, because it’s illegal. The FDA does not allow such claims on a dietary supplement.

But I guess it is okay to say that Listerine “fights the flu” and it must be okay to say that Allegra Allergy “fights the flu”, or even a box of tissues. Honestly, the only product on that page that actually “fights the flu” was the Clorox wipes. How can they say that all these products fight the flu when clearly, they do not? Since when does Listerine fight the flu???

As part of the team at Redd Remedies that decides on product claims and the statements included in our supporting literature, I often times find myself frustrated at finding a legal way to communicate what our products do for people’s health. At times, I wish we could just say what science has proven to be true and factual. I find it more frustrating when I see ads or products that claim things that are pretty much not true and at times completely ridiculous. My frustration stems from the fact that, as an industry, we have rules to follow. Like them or not, they are law and we have to follow them.

The more companies out there willing to blatantly ignore DSHEA (the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act, 1994), the more people will falsely believe that we are not a regulated industry. I also don’t appreciate the fact that some of these claims are just predatory and come from a place of greed.

We started Redd to help people get their lives back – back to a place where they are comfortable; where they can function at a normal and healthy level; where they can be happy. We don’t claim to cure. We don’t promise a magic bullet. We respect the laws set in place and will comply and function within them. We have reached 10’s of thousands of people operating in that manner and we will continue to do so.