Whole Foods getting sued for selling homeopathy meds

[foophil]

Progress! Whole Foods has a new class action lawsuit against them for selling people fraudulent medicine (homeopathy):

https://sciencebasedpharmacy.wordpr...omeopathy-class-action-this-time-whole-foods/

I hope this is successful, and that it spawns other lawsuits hitting other big retailers like CVS who also peddle the same 'medicines' (though they don't explicitly call them that - wink wink) in their pharmacy.

 

[Red Baron Farms]

Progress! Whole Foods has a new class action lawsuit against them for selling people fraudulent medicine (homeopathy):

https://sciencebasedpharmacy.wordpr...omeopathy-class-action-this-time-whole-foods/

I hope this is successful, and that it spawns other lawsuits hitting other big retailers like CVS who also peddle the same 'medicines' (though they don't explicitly call them that - wink wink) in their pharmacy.

Absolutely. I was naive and quite shocked to find out Homeopathy was even allowed in USA. Seriously. I thought all that was settled many years ago and that only Britain was enamored with homeopathy. Boy was I wrong. But hopefully things like this class action will put an end to it again. For good this time I hope.

 

[Rat]

Absolutely. I was naive and quite shocked to find out Homeopathy was even allowed in USA. Seriously. I thought all that was settled many years ago and that only Britain was enamored with homeopathy. Boy was I wrong. But hopefully things like this class action will put an end to it again. For good this time I hope.

The UK has a shameful record with homeopathy, but I don't think we're as bad as the Germans.

 

[steve s]

Absolutely. I was naive and quite shocked to find out Homeopathy was even allowed in USA. Seriously. I thought all that was settled many years ago and that only Britain was enamored with homeopathy.

Remember those Head On commercials? (Apply directly to the forehead.) That's homeopathic.

Steve S

 

[RationalVetMed]

The UK has a shameful record with homeopathy, but I don't think we're as bad as the Germans.

If you think the Germans are bad, you should have a look at a few Indian journals.

Yuri

 

[Trebuchet]

Absolutely. I was naive and quite shocked to find out Homeopathy was even allowed in USA. Seriously. I thought all that was settled many years ago and that only Britain was enamored with homeopathy. Boy was I wrong. But hopefully things like this class action will put an end to it again. For good this time I hope.

Not only does the USA allow it, the FDA is specifically prohibited by law from regulating it. Along with herbal "supplements". What's more, US law, unlike German law (I think) doesn't define "homeopathic" concentrations, allowing product like Zicam to claim to be homeopathic while containing potentially therapeutic or harmful concentrations of zinc.

The ingredients are listed as "zincum aceticum 2x and zincum gluconicum 1x". That's 1% zinc acetate and 10% zinc gluconate, concentrations which would have Hanhnemann spinning in his grave. They actually were required to pull their nasal spray after causing many people to lose their sense of smell.

Edited by zooterkin: 

<SNIP>
Edited for rule 11.

 

[Puppycow]

Not only does the USA allow it, the FDA is specifically prohibited by law from regulating it. Along with herbal "supplements".

Although, IIRC, homeopathic "medicines" and herbal supplements are forbidden from making claims that they can treat or cure any disease. If they play by the rules it would be hard to sue them, but according to attorneys for the plaintiffs, it seems that maybe they do not:

Audet & Partners, LLP reports that a new class action lawsuit recently brought in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida challenges claims made by Whole Foods Market, Inc. regarding products including Cough Ease for Kids, Cough Ease, Flu Ease and Arnica Montana 30C. Each of these claims are based on the assertion that the company extracted a premium for these products from potentially hundreds of thousands of consumers by claiming that the products effectively treat the flu, as well as coughing and other symptoms in children as well as adults.

So the question is, did they make that claim? In the case of "Cough Ease" and "Flu Ease", it seems like the claim is right there in the name of the product. They will probably claim that it isn't a claim, it's just a name. But if I sold a product under the name "Cancer Cure" without actually claiming that it can cure cancer, wouldn't the name of the product itself be seen as a claim?

 

[steve s]

The ingredients are listed as "zincum aceticum 2x and zincum gluconicum 1x". That's 1% zinc acetate and 10% zinc gluconate, concentrations which would have Hanhnemann spinning in his grave. They actually were required to pull their nasal spray after causing many people to lose their sense of smell.

And how does zinc fit into the "Like cures like" scheme?

Steve S

 

[Madalch]

And how does zinc fit into the "Like cures like" scheme?

Steve S

It's homeopathy...try not to zinc about it too deeply.

 

[ehcks]

And how does zinc fit into the "Like cures like" scheme?

Steve S

Well, it causes you to lose your sense of smell. So does a cold. Therefore...

 

[Porpoise of Life]

The UK has a shameful record with homeopathy, but I don't think we're as bad as the Germans.

If you think the Germans are bad, you should have a look at a few Indian journals.
Yuri

Actually, as long as most people believe in homeopathy it's harmless, only when you dilute homeopathy does it start to become more and more potent
I'm off to buy some occilococcinum to thwart those quacks!

 

[Mojo]

Absolutely. I was naive and quite shocked to find out Homeopathy was even allowed in USA.

It was grandfathered into the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act 1938 by Royal S Copeland.

 

[Mojo]

The ingredients are listed as "zincum aceticum 2x and zincum gluconicum 1x". That's 1% zinc acetate and 10% zinc gluconate, concentrations which would have Hanhnemann spinning in his grave. They actually were required to pull their nasal spray after causing many people to lose their sense of smell.

And how does zinc fit into the "Like cures like" scheme?

It's had its name translated into cod-Latin. What more do you want?

 

[Trebuchet]

And how does zinc fit into the "Like cures like" scheme?

Steve S

It doesn't. It's a blatant scam to foist off unapproved and potentially harmful medication on the public. Always follow the money.

 

[casebro]

The Homeos have gotten away from like-cures-like. That way they don't have to put any actual quantifiable ingredients in. Their "meds" don't have to make you ill anymore. So nowadays, they don't need any 'stuff' in there, but they do have to shake the bottle just so when they fill it. Otherwise the majick sinks to the bottom.

 

[fishbob]

There is a huge difference between herbal remedies, healthy food etc... and homeopathy. Homeopathy is just nothing. Pure fraud 100% of the time. Now I agree that it is possible to make fraudulent claims about food and herbs, but at least there are things besides just water or sugar pills. The way food is grown and whether it is cooked or not, does actually cause biochemical changes in it. That is verifiable science, not woo. What those biochemical changes do to us humans when we eat it? That is quite a bit more complicated. So I take that with a skeptical grain of salt on a case by case basis. Some purveyors of woo might make certain claims that are not true, others might be true. You have to investigate each individually.

As far as raw milk goes, if you are to get milk at a grocery store, I wouldn't ever buy raw. Too risky. But if you know the farmer and know his animals are healthy, and you have seen his production methods and they are clean, then it is possible to get the most delicious healthy product you ever tasted. It's not even in the same ball park as what you buy in those plastic jugs at the market. It's analogous to comparing cool aide with fresh squeezed fruit juice. No comparison.

I beg to disagree.
Homeopathy has been shown to be highly effective at . . .
relieving people of their money.

 

[BrianH]

<snipped>
I hope this is successful, and that it spawns other lawsuits hitting other big retailers like CVS who also peddle the same 'medicines' (though they don't explicitly call them that - wink wink) in their pharmacy.

I find this amusing, given their 'moral high ground' stance towards tobacco products.

 

[foophil]

I find this amusing, given their 'moral high ground' stance towards tobacco products.

So true.

 

[Travis]

I find this amusing, given their 'moral high ground' stance towards tobacco products.

Well, the difference is that tobacco products actively harm you while homeopathy is just a waste of time.

 

[steve s]

It's homeopathy...try not to zinc about it too deeply.