International Bad Product Awards
Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Mattel and Takeda Pharmaceuticals top the list of international brands guilty of abusing consumer rights, according to Consumers International. The announcement came as 400 delegates from national consumer organisations and governments, convened in Sydney to attend CI’s World Congress.
And.. This year’s winner is:
Takeda Pharmaceuticals – for taking advantage of poor US regulation and advertising sleeping pills to children, despite health warnings about pediatric use.
Consumers International said the top prize went to the US subsidiary of Japanese firm Takeda Pharmaceuticals for promoting a sleeping drug for children.
The company ran a television advertisement in the United States which used images of children, chalk boards and a school bus to sell its drug Rozerem.
The "back-to-school" advertisements, which complied with US law, promoted the sleeping pills to parents without including health warnings for children, Consumers International said.
AFP/Inquirer.net: Sleeping pills for kids top global list of bad products
Three runners up also were announced: Kellogg's was awarded for the worldwide use of cartoon-type characters and product tie-ins aimed at children, despite high levels of sugar and salt in its food products. Coca-Cola was criticised for marketing of its bottled water, Dasani, "despite admitting it comes from the same sources as local tap water". CI also critizised toy company Mattel for its handling of the ongoing global recall of 21 million products and "stonewalling" US congressional investigations.
Over at The Consumerist, people are commenting on the awards, noting that Pepsi also sells bottled tapwater, called Aquafina.
"Japan has stricter rules and does not allow such TV commercials for pharmaceutical products," notes Michiyo Koketsu from Consumers Union of Japan. "However, we are concerned about the risk that similar commercials will be approved in the near future. We will keep watching and expect more corporate social responsibility, not less."
And.. This year’s winner is:
Takeda Pharmaceuticals – for taking advantage of poor US regulation and advertising sleeping pills to children, despite health warnings about pediatric use.
Consumers International said the top prize went to the US subsidiary of Japanese firm Takeda Pharmaceuticals for promoting a sleeping drug for children.
The company ran a television advertisement in the United States which used images of children, chalk boards and a school bus to sell its drug Rozerem.
The "back-to-school" advertisements, which complied with US law, promoted the sleeping pills to parents without including health warnings for children, Consumers International said.
AFP/Inquirer.net: Sleeping pills for kids top global list of bad products
Three runners up also were announced: Kellogg's was awarded for the worldwide use of cartoon-type characters and product tie-ins aimed at children, despite high levels of sugar and salt in its food products. Coca-Cola was criticised for marketing of its bottled water, Dasani, "despite admitting it comes from the same sources as local tap water". CI also critizised toy company Mattel for its handling of the ongoing global recall of 21 million products and "stonewalling" US congressional investigations.
Over at The Consumerist, people are commenting on the awards, noting that Pepsi also sells bottled tapwater, called Aquafina.
"Japan has stricter rules and does not allow such TV commercials for pharmaceutical products," notes Michiyo Koketsu from Consumers Union of Japan. "However, we are concerned about the risk that similar commercials will be approved in the near future. We will keep watching and expect more corporate social responsibility, not less."
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