MFDS cracks down on falsely advertised 'cleanse juice' products

By Kim Hyun-bin

Health officials are warning consumers not to purchase “cleanse juice” products as their makers were found to have falsely advertised them as having health benefits.

The overpriced products, which manufacturers claim help remove fat and detoxify the body, have been a hit item at online shopping malls.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) announced Tuesday that it found 25 products sold at 218 websites having false or exaggerated claims made about them.

The ministry analyzed and compared the nutrients of the “detox and dietary” products and found that there was no noticeable difference in calories and sodium or sugar content compared to other ordinary fruit or vegetable juices on the market.

More than 63 percent of advertisements for the products showed false information about them, including that they have detoxification effects; 20.6 percent misled consumers to believe the products were categorized as health functional foods that would help them lose weight; and 15.6 percent said the products prevented and helped cure cancer.

“The advertisements that said the products had detoxification, anti-ageing and anti-cancer benefits were all false or exaggerated,” the MFDS said. “To gain health benefits, people should select functional health food products that contain effective ingredients.”

The ministry plans to strengthen monitoring of false advertisements of products advertised as having health benefits, and to impose administrative measures or request police investigations of manufacturers that violate relevant laws.