Hill's Advertising Claims
pet age 1 JUNE 2004
NEWSBeat
Hill's Pet Nutrition proves advertising claims for some
of its pet food products, but not others.
The National Advertising Division of die Council of Better
Business Bureaus Inc. (New York), the advertising industry's self-regulatory
forum, in April determined that Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. (Topeka, Kan.) had
provided sufficient evidence to support advertising claims for some of the products
in its Prescription Diet line, but recommended that the company discontinue
claims for other products in the line.
The truth and accuracy of Hill's claims were brought to the attention of NAD
by The lams Co. (Dayton, Ohio).
NAD concluded that Hill's provided sufficient evidence to support the claim
that its Prescription Diet t/d Oral Care and Science Diet Oral Care Adult foods
for dogs and cats reduce tartar more effectively than lams' Eukanuba Adult Maintenance
Formula with Eukanuba Dental
Defense System. However, NAD found that Hill's claims of superior plaque removal
were unsupported and recommended that they be discontinued.
NAD also concluded that Hill's provided sufficient evidence to support the "Clinical
Nutrition Proven to Help Extend Life" claim for its Prescription Diet k/d,
g/d and n/d foods for canines. However, NAD said Hill's failed to provide sufficient
evidence to support the claim for its Prescription Diet r/d, w/d, 1/d, i/d,
h/d, p/d, z/d, d/d, c/d, s/d, t/d, a/d, b/d, p/d, u/d, x/d and g/d foods. NAD
recommended that the claim be discontinued for these products.
In a statement to NAD, Hill's said it was pleased with the findings and would
take NAD's concerns into account for future advertisements.