ABC Sued by Swisse over Anti-Swisse Story
It has not been a good year for Swisse.
Firstly they have come under fire from the TGA for claiming that consumers would “feel better on Swisse”.
The TGA investigated Swisse in January, finding many products offered were misleading, had not been verified or aroused unwarranted expectations.
Resulting in the withdrawal of 11 advertisements that claimed certain products were “clinically proven” or “independently tested” and the ban on using the slogan “Tired? Stressed? You’ll feel better on Swisse”.
It turns out that they had no proof to back this claim.
Now Swisse are back in the spotlight after an ABC show highlighted possible clinical testing manipulations and dodgy TGA legal loopholes with their products – and they are not happy.
The father of Swisse chief executive Radek Sali has launched a defamation action following claims on ABC’s consumer affairs program The Checkout, claiming a recent episode ‘‘severely injured his reputation and standing’’.
In a writ filed with the Victorian Supreme Court on April 26, Avni Sali, Radek Sali, claims that The Checkout defamed him by saying he ‘‘manipulated’’ clinical tests of a Swisse appetite suppressant to benefit the company.
In the segment, broadcast on March 21, presenter Craig Reucassel is seen saying the case of Swisse’s product ‘‘highlights everything that’s wrong with the regulation of natural medicines in Australia’’.
“The program was meant and was understood to mean that the plaintiff performed clinical tests… and then manipulated the published results for the commercial benefit of Swisse,’’ Sali says.
Final Word:
By using celebrity endorsements and manipulating legal loopholes to sell their products, Swisse may be covering up the fact that they are sprucing low quality supplements.
When choosing to spend your money on a supplement, make sure the brand can back up the clinical effectiveness of the ingredients.
The best place to start is by choosing a ‘Practitioner Only’ brand, these brands invest money into product research and development and not into the back pockets of famous celebrities.
Further Reading:
Email to a friend  |
