A maker of livestock feed supplements says it will halt comparative advertising claims at the recommendation of the National Advertising Division (NAD). The division recommended that Novus International stop advertising the claims following a challenge by Micronutrients. Both challenger and advertiser produce copper trace mineral supplements that are mixed with livestock feed.
The advertiser’s products, Mintrex and MAAC, are organic trace minerals, created by combining an essential metal like copper with carbon-based substances such as an organic acid, according to NAD.
The challenger’s product, Intellibond C, is an inorganic trace mineral known as tribasic copper chloride (TBCC).
The challenged claims appeared in a technical paper that incorporated a question-and-answer format and was distributed by the advertiser to its customers and potential customers, but was challenged on several of the items, including:
- “Question: Is there a risk of high chlorine levels with TBCC? Answer: Yes.”
- “Some TBCC customers have raised concerns about the total chloride content in diets containing TBCC.”
- “Question: What is a stretched covalent bond? Answer: We don’t know.Accompanied by graphic entitled: Misleading Interpretation of Chelation Bonds.”
The paper highlighted the alleged performance, bioavailability, toxins, source and chemical composition of TBCC.The advertiser maintained that it developed the paper in response to previous advertising by the challenger.
NAD reviewed the messages conveyed by the challenged claims in the context in which they appeared, recommending the advertiser discontinue several of its claims, including “TBCC has dangerous levels of dioxin-like PCBs in numerous lots tested.”
It further noted, however, that nothing in its decision prevents the advertiser from truthfully and accurately describing the some lots of TBCC that it tested exceeded the European Union’s action threshold or maximum limit of dioxin and dioxin-like PCBs.
Officials at the advertiser said that while the company “firmly believes that all of the challenged claims ... are accurate and supported by scientific evidence, in the interest of resolving this matter, Novus has agreed to abide by the NAD's decision.” PD
—From Advertising Self-Regulatory Council
