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ConsumerLab.com warns of deceptive campaign by manufacturer of children's vitamin
WHITE PLAINS, NY — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — FRIDAY MAY 28, 2004 — Responding to a deceptive public relations campaign recently launched by vitamin manufacturer Northwest Natural Products, Inc., ConsumerLab.com reiterated its warning today that it has found an excessive amount of lead in the company's Li'l Critters Gummy Vites, a popular children's multivitamin. ConsumerLab.com's recently published Product Review of Multivitamins (www.consumerlab.com/results/multivit.asp) reports Li'l Critters Gummy Vites to contain 2.5 mcg of lead per two gummy bear serving. Under California's Prop 65, supplements should generally contain no more than 0.5 mcg of lead per serving or must carry a warning label. The FDA advises that total daily lead intake from the diet should not exceed 6 mcg for children under age six and that some risk exists with any level of lead exposure.
The Li'l Critters Gummy Vites product that was tested by ConsumerLab.com has the expiration date of 9/05. ConsumerLab.com's results were confirmed in two independent laboratories prior to release.
Rather than recall this product and notify the public of the problem, the manufacturer, Northwest Natural Products, Inc. ("NNP"), has launched a libelous campaign against ConsumerLab.com, attempting to put its results into question. NNP has published test results suggesting that its product is not high in lead, but these results are based exclusively on newer batches of the product (with expiration dates in 2006). NNP has not published any results regarding the batch of product tested by ConsumerLab.com nor for other batches with expiration dates in 2005, despite the fact that these products currently remain in use and for sale at major drug, grocery, and discount stores including Costco and Wal-mart.
NNP has asked ConsumerLab.com to test its newer product, which is underway. ConsumerLab.com hopes to find that problems do not exist with the new product. However, ConsumerLab.com has every reason to believe that its reported findings are correct and it cautions parents to avoid giving their children Li'l Critters Gummy Vites having an expiration date of 9/05 and possibly others with expiration dates prior to 2006. It believes NNP has acted irresponsibly in this matter, needlessly subjecting children to lead exposure and disseminating false information about ConsumerLab.com to cover its mistakes. ConsumerLab.com is considering legal action against NNP.
Since 1999, ConsumerLab.com has been a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. The company is privately held and based in White Plains, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. Subscription to ConsumerLab.com is available online at www.consumerlab.com where Reviews of many other popular supplements can be found. New Reviews soon to be released include, valerian, vitamin E, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids, and nutrition bars.
Copyright ConsumerLab.com, LLC, 2004. All rights reserved.
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The Li'l Critters Gummy Vites product that was tested by ConsumerLab.com has the expiration date of 9/05. ConsumerLab.com's results were confirmed in two independent laboratories prior to release.
Rather than recall this product and notify the public of the problem, the manufacturer, Northwest Natural Products, Inc. ("NNP"), has launched a libelous campaign against ConsumerLab.com, attempting to put its results into question. NNP has published test results suggesting that its product is not high in lead, but these results are based exclusively on newer batches of the product (with expiration dates in 2006). NNP has not published any results regarding the batch of product tested by ConsumerLab.com nor for other batches with expiration dates in 2005, despite the fact that these products currently remain in use and for sale at major drug, grocery, and discount stores including Costco and Wal-mart.
NNP has asked ConsumerLab.com to test its newer product, which is underway. ConsumerLab.com hopes to find that problems do not exist with the new product. However, ConsumerLab.com has every reason to believe that its reported findings are correct and it cautions parents to avoid giving their children Li'l Critters Gummy Vites having an expiration date of 9/05 and possibly others with expiration dates prior to 2006. It believes NNP has acted irresponsibly in this matter, needlessly subjecting children to lead exposure and disseminating false information about ConsumerLab.com to cover its mistakes. ConsumerLab.com is considering legal action against NNP.
Since 1999, ConsumerLab.com has been a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. The company is privately held and based in White Plains, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. Subscription to ConsumerLab.com is available online at www.consumerlab.com where Reviews of many other popular supplements can be found. New Reviews soon to be released include, valerian, vitamin E, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids, and nutrition bars.
Copyright ConsumerLab.com, LLC, 2004. All rights reserved.
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