Penta fails to prove its claims

[Mojo]

Last week the UK Advertising Standards Authority ruled on a leaflet advertising Penta Water. After considering information submitted by Penta and taking expert advice,

The Authority concluded that the information submitted was not sufficient to prove Penta water had health benefits over and above those of ordinary water or was structured differently from ordinary water. The Authority told the advertisers not to repeat claims that implied the product was chemically unique, had been restructured or molecularly redesigned, or hydrated cells and improved physical performance better than tap water.

See http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudications/Adjudication+Details.htm?Adjudication_id=39409

 

[Zep]

They will try to find SOME way around this, just wait...

 

[Mojo]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/badscience/story/0,12980,1433653,00.html

You read it here first! (unless you read Rrose Selavy’s post in General Skepticism first, of course)

 

[Badly Shaved Monkey]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/badscience/story/0,12980,1433653,00.html

You read it here first! (unless you read Rrose Selavy’s post in General Skepticism first, of course)

Another three cheers for Ben Goldacre.

It is ironic thatdespite his revealing the ature of Gillian McKeith's qualifications the TV guide of the Grauniad persists in describing her as "Dr Gillian McKeith" in the entries for her Channel 4 programmes.

 

[Badly Shaved Monkey]

I e-mailed Ben, thus;

"Hi Ben

Had you noticed that the TV guide of the Grauniad persists in
describing GMcK as "Dr Gillian McKeith" in the listings for her
programmes. Perhaps you should leave a copy of your column on the TV editor's desk!

Regards

Dr Badly S Monkey

Real PhD ;-)"

and he replied, thus;

"whoa, good point!

b"

 

[CurtC]

Yes, I think they should refer to her as Ben himself does, consistently as "Dr Gillian McKeith PhD". Or maybe not. The trick is effective only if your reader already knows the origins of her (and Ben's dead cat's) degree.

 

[richardm]

How are they going to sell this stuff now?

Last time my Dad was at the pharmacy the pharmacist himself tried to sell him Penta water, parroting all the claims about how "you can drink a whole bottle and not feel bloated!".

Surely it must help not to have the lies on the label, but I hope that the damage hasn't already been done.

 

[Badly Shaved Monkey]

I see McKeith has lost her "Dr" in today's Grauniad TV listing. Perhaps a small victory has been won, though I ackowledge it's getting hardly Boiron prosecuted for fraud, so possibly just a very brief lap of honour.