PRESS RELEASE

DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS: ANTITRUST AUTHORITY APPLIES A PENALTY OF €250,000 ON NAMED SPA FOR MISLEADING ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
ON DIETARY SUPPLEMENT IMMUN’AGE

The Antitrust Authority considered as misleading various descriptions of Immun’Age, a dietary supplement, in an advertising campaign on the press, radio and television as well as on the dedicated website on the internet (www.immunage.it) and imposed a fine of €250,000 on the company Named S.p.A.

According to the Autorità garante della concorrenza e del mercato (Italian Competition Authority), throughout the whole promotional campaign on the product mentioned above, extensive reference was made to certain particular characteristics of a healthy nature, mainly its effectiveness against many serious diseases (Alzheimer, Parkinson’s disease, etc.) or against other diseases and physiological conditions that are widespread such as cellular aging, flu and colds, vaccinations and debilitating conditions, which have proved to be untrue or at least ambiguous.

In the light of findings that emerged during the proceedings, the drink Immun’age is actually a dietary supplement made from papaya, a product that can only boast of having an antioxidant effect, while there is no scientific validation or any relative authorization on the various health benefits that are attributed to its consumption; and this misleads consumers about product characteristics to which publicity campaigns attribute results that are normally attributed to the proper function of medicines.

The investigation forms part of a series of actions aimed at countering the misuse of health claims. Antitrust Authority has in fact concluded several proceedings meant to consider the incorrect formulation of health claims that appear on the packaging and on internet sites of food products and dietary supplements.

Rome, 24 September 2014