Thursday, June 19, 2008

Dispute Over Medicinal Honey Ads Heats Up in New Zealand

Manuka Honey Complaint Upheld
NZPA, 6/19/2008

A continuing row about objective measurement of a chemical compound used to define the efficacy of manuka honey for medicinal purposes has spilled over into advertisements run in community newspapers.

Professor Peter Molan, a pioneer in researching manuka honey used for purposes such as wound dressings, has successfully complained to the Advertising Standards Authority over advertisements run in the Hamilton Press.

The authority said today the advertisement for manuka honey trademarked with MGO, an abbreviation for methylglyoxal, breached a therapeutic products advertising code, as it was not truthful and balanced, and the claims had not been substantiated.

It said the advertisement also breached rules by not observing a high standard of social responsibility.

Manuka Health NZ Ltd did not substantiate the claim that its honey brand had unique anti-bacterial properties that other manuka honeys did not have…

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