FTC Approves Final Order Settling Charges that Marketer of Children's Vitamins Made Deceptive Claims about DHA and Brain and Eye Development

Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission finalized an Order settling charges that a major vitamin marketer and its subsidiaries made false and unsupported claims that their Disney and Marvel Heroes line of children’s multivitamins contained a significant amount of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, an Omega-3 fatty acid) and promoted healthy brain and eye development in children.  As part of the settlement in this case, which was first announced in December 2010, NBTY, Inc. and two subsidiaries, NatureSmart LLC and Rexall Sundown, Inc have agreed to pay $2.1 million to provide refunds to consumers who purchased these multivitamins. 

The Commission vote approving the final Order was 5-0.  (FTC File No. 1023080; the staff contact is Devin Domond, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2610.)  Public comments on this order can be found here.

Copies of the documents mentioned in this release are available from the FTC’s website at http://www.ftc.gov and from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580.  Call toll-free: 1-877-FTC-HELP.

(NBTY FC)