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Dairy Industry Under Attack by Physician's Group

Jan 30, 2002

The dairy industry's newest advertisements to date drew fire from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), which filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday, January 29, 2002, alleging that the advertisements include false health claims.

One ad features unlikely nutrition authority Alfred E. Neuman, the cartoon character from MAD magazine, saying, "Got milk? It's got calcium, which is great for strong bones and toothy product endorsement smiles." Government guidelines, however, agree that calcium alone does not promote bone health.

Advertisements making this health claim must acknowledge the importance of other bone-building factors, such as exercise and a balanced diet. The MAD ad violates these principles.

A second advertisement features circus contortionists with the tag line, "Try this at home. We mean the drinking milk part. Lowfat milk helps prevent osteoporosis and keeps your bones supple."

"It is now clear enough that dairy products do not build strong bones," said PCRM President Neal D. Barnard, M.D. "It is time the government ordered a stop to advertisements that perpetuate a dangerous myth."

PCRM filed its original petition with the FTC against the "Milk Mustache/Got Milk?" campaign in July 2000. FTC referred the complaint to an expert panel at the Department of Agriculture, which agreed with many of PCRM's concerns. The panel concluded that dairy products can even have adverse health effects, including an increased risk of prostate cancer and heart disease. The FTC has not yet issued a final ruling about the ads.

PCRM's latest complaint is an amendment to its earlier petition. Health claims for dairy products have come under stronger fire from health authorities since the Harvard Nurses' Health Study found in 1997 that women who consume large amounts of calcium from dairy products actually break more bones than women who generally avoid dairy products, suggesting that the idea of a protective effect of milk on bones is simply a myth. Sixteen studies have linked dairy consumption with prostate cancer, and others suggest a role of cow's milk in anemia, Type 1 diabetes, and digestive problems.

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, especially good nutrition, and higher standards in research.