Splenda Side Effect Hotline Established by Consumer Group

Palangkaraya Post, 23 March 2007

Citizens for Health Urges FTC, FDA to Take Action

WASHINGTON — /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Citizens for Health (CFH), the national grassroots advocacy organization committed to protecting and expanding natural health choices, has announced the establishment of 1-888-774- CALL (2255), a hotline for consumers who believe they are suffering side effects from the use of the artificial sweetener Splenda. In light of the complaints they have already received, the group is also renewing their call for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action against McNeil Nutritionals, the manufacturer of Splenda.

“The FDA ignored our original request to look into these complaints, so we decided to step up and document them,” said Jim Turner, Esq., chairman of the board of Citizens for Health. “I encourage consumers to contact us if they have suffered any side effects from the use of the chlorinated artificial sweetener Splenda and to join us in demanding that FDA immediately conduct case studies on possible side effects from its use.”

To report side effects or adverse events, please call 1-888-774-CALL (2255).

Citizens for Health also stated their support for various lawsuits around the country addressing Splenda’s misleading marketing tactics. Last week, a federal judge in Philadelphia ruled that Merisant Co., the manufacturer of Equal and NutraSweet, had presented sufficient evidence that McNeil may have intentionally misled consumers to require that all the evidence be heard at trial.

“Splenda’s advertising is false and misleading,” Turner commented. “We are pleased the judge recognized the severity of these allegations and has ruled that a case should go to a jury trial. We also ask the FTC to review claims that the popular slogan ‘Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar’ has led consumer to believe that Splenda is somehow more natural then other artificial sweeteners.” The FTC is the government agency responsible for monitoring and enforcing advertising standards.

In April of 2006, Citizens for Health submitted a Citizens Petition to the FDA calling on the agency to revoke its approval of sucralose, the sweetening component of the artificial sweetener Splenda.

About Citizens for Health

Citizens for Health (http://www.citizens.org/) is an international non- profit consumer advocacy group working to broaden healthcare options, create an integrative health system based on wellness, and advance the freedom to make health choices. The group promotes the fundamental policies needed to improve health choices and information in the U.S. and internationally. The group works with grassroots and education organizations and partners in the not-for-profit sector to ensure consumer access to dietary supplements, safe foods, a healthy environment and a wide range of healing therapies. Citizens for Health fosters active citizen leadership and organizes natural health consumers to create political and legislative solutions that support those rights.
Website: http://www.citizens.org/