The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has brought a class action lawsuit against Coca Cola. CSPI claims that Vitaminwater’s health claims violate FDA guidelines. Each 20 oz bottle of Vitaminwater contains 33 grams of sugar and 125 calories. Vitaminwater’s health claims may violate the FDA’s jelly bean policy — where you can’t claim that a jelly bean is healthy because is has no cholesterol. See “Is Vitaminwater Really a Healthy Drink?” in Time (July 30, 2010).
What do you think? If not legal, is it ethical for Coca-Cola to make the health claims it makes? Every consumer for themselves? Or should the government be protecting consumers from this type of promotion? Post your thoughts to the blog no later than the beginning of class on Tuesday, April 12th.
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I think that it is unethical for Coca-Cola to deceive consumers by making it seem like the water is just like any other water, just enriched in vitamins. That being said, I believe that consumers should be responsible for what they consume. People should look at what they are putting in to their and their families bodies.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to whether or not the government should protect consumers from this promotion,I think that it is their responsibilty to a point. For those ignorant peole who believe everything they're told or take everything as they see it, someone's got to look out for them!
If the labeling of Vitaminwater violates consumer protection laws, then Coca-Cola has acted unlawful. Consumer protection laws exist to protect the general public from misleading and untrue claims by companies trying to sell their products; to protect us from the snake oil salesman. Is Vitaminwater an elixir that lives up to it's name? Probably not. Is it ethical for Coca-Cola to make the health claims? What health claims are made by Coke? They simply didn't put the word "sugar" in the name? Is it misleading? Probably - at least for the consumer who doesn't read labels. Consumers need to show more accountability; they shouldn't blame other people/companies for their own ignorance. Every food product is required to list the ingredients on the label. Sugar is listed on the label of Vitaminwater. Sugar is what makes it NOT taste like vitamins + water! I do not believe Coca-Cola has acted unethically.
ReplyDeleteThe Judge claims it is going against FDA policies which means it is unlawful. I think Coca-Cola is trying to say Vitamins is the main picture here. The little Flinstone gummy vitamins are little gummies filled with sugar, where is their lawsuit? Therfore Coca-Cola did not act unethical, but I do believe the government should do a better job of protecting the consumers from this type of promotion, but it truly is up to the consumer to look at what your getting. They say red meat is high an iron, but it's one of the fattest meats you can get, almost everything has a good and a bad to it.
ReplyDeleteI don’t drink Vitamin Water ever so I don’t consider this an issue. However, I know that Vitamin Water is supposed to be like Gatorade but with added “vitamins.” I don’t believe the Vitamin Water name is illegal or unethical. Vitamin Water does have sugar in it but it also has the vitamins in it that it claims to have. Consumers should have enough knowledge and common sense to know what is good and bad for them. Gatorade isn’t the greatest for you and neither is Vitamin Water. If a consumer is relying on Vitamin Water for their daily absorption of essential vitamins then they probably aren’t healthy to begin with, and know nothing about nutrition. Coca-cola should only be punished if they actually say Vitamin Water has healthy vitamins, zero calories, and no sugar. I can see how Coca-cola is receiving flack for their promotion of the product. Vitamin Water is not just vitamins + water, and they may want to change how they advertise to avoid problems.
ReplyDeleteI think what Coca-Cola is doing is completely legal because they follow all the FDA's rules as far as nutrition labels when it comes to showing the consumers the calorie count and sugar levels. The name itself is just a marketing technique, Vitamin Water gives you that fake appeal that you are drinking just water and vitamins. In fact you are ingesting a bunch of other ingredients. Gatorade is just as non healthy when compared to Vitamin Water, both contain high fructose corn syrup which is a strong unhealthy sweetener. The Government doesn't need to step in to protecting the consumers from this type of promotion "vitamins + water + all you need" the consumer should be smart enough to know this beverage contains other ingredients. If the company was targeting to healthy active consumers, then they would know about the sugar and calorie content associated with this product. The unfamiliar or not so worried about health consumer would be more involved with this product.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Coca-Cola has acted unethically; they have provided the consumers with the necessary nutrition facts and labeling that is required. It is up to the consumer to make themselves aware of what they are actually consuming. The product doesn't claim to be sugar free or "diet", therefore it's almost natural to assume there is some sort of sugar in the product.
ReplyDeleteMy personal opinion is that Coca-Cola has not acted in an unethically, because Vitamin water has a label of nutrition on it with all the nutrition facts that are required. The buyer of the product should be responsible enough to check the facts. I have drank this water before and so I know for a fact that there is a label and the label is not miss leading, cause even though it has vitamins in it, it also has your typical sugars. If the label said sugar free then I would say that yes Coca-cola has acted unethical but no where on that label does it say that. So therefore Coca-Cola is ethically correct.
ReplyDeleteI personally do not think Coca-Cola has acted unethically because they are not lying about their product because Vitaminwater is water and vitamins with the addition of added sugar and other ingredients. However, it would be unethical if Coca-Cola promoted this product if it had no vitamins but this is not the case. These lists of vitamins are on the back of the bottle right next to the ingredients label which does include the sugar. Consumers should be more conscious and recognize that vitamins are not the only ingredient in this sports drink. I still think the government should be protecting consumers to situations where companies mislead consumers into thinking a product is healthy when it is not but I still think consumers should be reliable to what they consume
ReplyDeleteI dont believe coca cola has acted unethically because they do put their ingredients on the label and it is up to the consumer to read the labels. So vitamin water is supposed to have vitamins in it while it may have them it also has sugars added. On the label it clearly states the amount of sugar and other ingredients in it so once again I think it is up to the consumer to read the label and determine whether or not they would like to purchase the beverage.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that it is illegal or unethical. People have to watch out for themselves. Everything these days is unhealthy in some ways just like everything can cause cancer. There are new things being taught to us each and every day and you have to chose what you want to listen to and pay attention to and what you think isn't worth your time and worrying.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe Coca-Cola is acting unethical at all. Most of the things we consume has an ingredient label on it and because Vitamin Water follows the FDA rules, this can not be considered illegal at all. People know what's good and what's bad for them, and we have enough sense to look at what's going into our bodies before we intake. The product does indeed provide vitamins for the body but it has sugar in it also. We, as adults, should know how much vitamin water is good for us a day and how much isn't. Although it may cause a small amount of harm if drank excessively, they do provide us with a label and that is very legal.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that it was illegal or unethical. I feel like as long as it has the amount of sugar in it on the label and it has the vitamins that it states than it shouldn't be a problem. The people who do drink it know how much sugar is in the drink and it's the consumers that are the ones that actually are drinking the drink. Also if it was "too unhealthly" than the FDA would have had the product pulled from shelves.
ReplyDeleteI feel that people who care that much about being healthy will always check the labeling and then make their decision on whether or not to buy it due to the amount of sugar. Their are many flavored waters on the market and many of them have a lot of sugar to make it good tasting water. Coca Cola also has a lot of vitamins in the flavored water and therefore they call it vitamin water. I do not feel it is unethical for Coca Cola to call this product Vitamin Water. Their are many other products on the market with bad ingredients but good names like healthy choice frozen entrees. You do not need to put all the ingredients in the name of the product.
ReplyDeleteI had never thought that this drink would be violating FDA regulations seeing how everyone drinks it, but i dont. I wouldnt go as far as say they are unethical with the name because they do have vitamins and nutrients in the water. It would be unethical if they didnt have an accurate nutritional facts labeled on the bottles with the sugar content and calorie content. The name makes sense when the main healthy source of the water is vitamins, but what they did is illegal with the amount of additives in the water making it taste good. Most people who want to be healthy probably would weed out sugar as a top negative to a healthy drink.
ReplyDeleteI don't consider this an important issue at all. Vitamin water is known to be a sport drink I really don't think anyone consumes it and believes that it consists of just vitamins and water. Coca-Cola has done nothing illegal or unethical in marketing this product. If certain people really believe that they are being deceived they should just take a look at the list of ingrediants which can be found on the label of every vitamin water bottle.I don't believe the government should get involved in this case, I am sure that there are numerous amounts of issues to which their time would be better spent on.
ReplyDeleteThe government shouldn't step in to do a thing, Our generation needs to get off their lazy asses, get an education, and stop being so closed minded(dumb). You would be a dumb ass to believe everything the government does or says, go off your own knowledge and insight and if you don't have any, go get some! Educate yourself, you'll last longer and live greater. These people are being fooled by the government and majority around them.
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