POM Oil

Juicy Fruit - It always helps to read the bottom line. We extol the virtues of CNN Money, NY Times, the Los Angeles Times in their reporting. The LA Times does the stories that other mainstream publications miss. In this case the headline and story was:

"FTC: POM Wonderful health claims are bogus -POM Wonderful isn't quite as wonderful as it claims, the Federal Trade Commission said Monday, after filing a complaint that challenges the company's statements that pomegranate can prevent and treat everything from heart disease to erectile dysfunction." - LA Times

To us that means that POM isn't wonderful. But the end of the story and gist is that the Federal Trade Commission says that POM isn't a super food. We say POM is a super food. We say that because its the right color and its served cold. We constantly show the research and data that says the stuff POM is made of is better food than anything you can buy at your local fast food restaurant. We maintain this inspite of our friends at the FTC. We do agree that it might not be THE prevention medicine for heart disease or ED but that it comprises the items that help maintain a healthier life and lifestyle.

"Among the advertising claims the FTC is challenging are that the product has "super health powers," that drinking an 8 ounce glass of POM Wonderful slows the rate of prostate cancer, that the juice can treat erectile dysfunction and that it has been proven reduce arterial plaque by 30 percent." - LA Times 

We agree that POM isn't a silver bullet but that it made of the stuff that research has proven. Mostly we think that POM is over priced and beyond our means but if and when we're out and about and we need some juice IF POM is available and we HAVE to spend our money we'll spend it on the liquid.

 "POM Wonderful pomegranate products have been the subject of over 50 published studies, which span a number of important health areas. These studies were conducted by leading researchers, including a Nobel Laureate, who are affiliated with top universities around the globe. This vast body of published research was conducted exclusively on POM products, all of which come from our own Wonderful variety pomegranates and are processed using our custom-designed, proprietary extraction equipment. Since 1998, we have provided over $34M in funding to support scientific research on POM products at top institutions around the globe." POM (World Class Science)

We've seen the ads for the products which we admit we crave though we can't see (well some of us can't) paying full price for the product and its never really on sale. We like it though it isn't sweet and taste more like medicine than a refreshing beverage. It is admittedly an acquired taste. It's better to drink it than to try and eat the fruit and suck the same amount of juice out of the seeds.

"The administrative complaint does not mean the company has violated the law, the FTC said. A hearing has been scheduled for eight months from now before an administrative law judge." - LA Times

What we hope the complaint will do is make POM hype the research instead of their product. The problem is then we'll discover that we don't need POM. Or that other companies can make a similar product and cut into their profits. Or even worst that we can make a similar substance for much cheaper and of a much higher quality. That of course would be the death of POM. Whatever the case we will be watching the complaint results carefully.

"Is POM Wonderful a publicly traded company? POM Wonderful is a privately held company and has no plans to go public at any time in the future." - POM (FAQ) 

We hope that the reason for the complaint isn't because POM (a publicly traded but privately held company) challenged Minute Maid for its POM like substitute that we have purchased because of its appearance and its what we believed were health claims.

"In a related case, Mark Dreher, POM Wonderful’s former head of scientific and regulatory affairs and expert endorser, has agreed to a settlement that bars him from making any disease treatment or prevention claims in advertising for a POM Wonderful product unless the claim is not misleading and comports with FDA requirements for the claim. The settlement also prohibits Dreher from making other health claims for a food, drug, or dietary supplement for human use without competent and reliable scientific evidence to support the claim. The settlement contains a cooperation clause and reporting provisions to assist the FTC in monitoring compliance with the order." - FTC (POM)

You remember the Federal Trade Commission who last week decided to: "rescind its regulations governing the format and display of health warnings on smokeless tobacco packages and advertising... The FTC works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them."

It could just be we're feeling paranoid against anything federal. It could happen. If POM did it once they could have done it again. It just hasn't been our experience that POM has made any outlandish claims that we've seen. If POM does decide to fight this complaint then expect the professors from the University of California to be called for all their independent research. We like the idea of a super food. We also believe in magic!