Holford product to get new name

Patrick Holford. Picture:Sophia Stander

Patrick Holford. Picture:Sophia Stander

Published May 21, 2012

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The distributors of Patrick Holford's “Smart Kids Brain Boost” would comply with a ruling that its product's name be changed, the company said on Thursday.

“We acknowledge the Advertising Standards Authority's decision regarding advertising of this product and have already set in place measures to comply with the ruling,” said CEO of More To Life Health, Peter Brierley, in a statement.

“It was never our intention to mislead our customers, but rather a means of communicating the importance of correct nutrition for growing brains.”

The ASA ruled that the product name has to be changed and that certain aspects of its advertising campaign have to be withdrawn.

The ASA said the name created an expectation that the product would boost mental performance and/or abilities in children.

Following a complaint about this, the ASA found the company's substantiation inadequate and said it had to withdraw the claims.

The advertisments claimed the best way to nourish a child’s brain to promote learning, memory and focus was to ensure they had an adequate intake of: phospholipids - the “intelligent” fats; amino acids - build neurotransmitters that act as “chemical messengers”, and B vitamins that “help to promote mental vitality”.

A radio commercial asked: “Would you like your child to be top of the class?” and said the product contained “special phospholipids, B vitamins and amino acids that are vital for optimising the brain potential”.

The ASA said that none of the literature supplied in support of the claims appeared to relate to the product as it was sold in the market.

Lobby group Equal Education, one of the complainants, welcomed the ASA's ruling.

“Succeeding in school requires adequate resources, good teachers, and hard work. As the ASA has shown, there is unfortunately no short-cut based on Mr Holford's products,” it said. - Sapa

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