A year after the American Academy of Pediatrics called out “questionable marketing practices” by manufacturers of older infant and toddler formula, Abbott Laboratories is being sued over the way it markets such products.
Illinois-based supplement group Abbott misled parents and other caregivers about the nutritional value of its high-sugar toddler milk, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) against the maker of Similac formula.
Toddler formula, which is marketed to children aged 12 to 36 months, is described as the next step after U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved infant formulas outgrow small children. However, unlike infant formula, dairy products for young children are not regulated by the FDA and are potentially harmful, according to PHAI, a nonprofit legal research center at Northeastern University School of Law.
According to the lawsuit filed by PHAI in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, national sales of toddler milk average more than $500 million per year.
“Dairy products for young children are not only unnecessary, they can actually be harmful to children's nutritional health,” said George Fuchs, a physician and professor of pediatric gastroenterology in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. “Added Sugar can increase young children's preference for sweet foods, leading to obesity and other health risks throughout their lives,” said Fox, who led the American Academy of Pediatrics' report on toddler milk.
Abbott's “Go & Grow Toddler Drink by Similac” and “Pure Bliss Toddler Drink by Similac” are labeled similarly to FDA-regulated infant formula and are sold on the same store shelves and are labeled “Phase 3,” meaning They are the next nutritionally recommended products, after “Phase 1” infant formula and “Phase 2” transitional formula, the lawsuit claims.
“Common toddler milk marketing practices, including unsubstantiated nutrition-related claims and packaging that looks like infant formula, mislead parents and other caregivers into believing that toddler milk provides nutritional benefits for young children,” Advanced Research said consultant Dr. Jennifer Harris.
American Academy of Pediatrics and other experts Recommended for children over 12 months Give water and pure milk.
Abbott did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
