Censorship: Coconut Health Claims forbidden in UK

[Guest guest]

As some of you know, my son sells coconut oil through a UK website.

Recently he was visited by someone from the Britih Trading Standards

Agency and the premises were inspected. Apparently somebody had

complained about the health claims for coconut oil on the website.

The inspection was OK, but then he got a letter giving instructions

to remove all health claims about coconut oil from the website.

A health claim is any claim that coconut oil can " prevent, treat or

cure " human disease. So he has to remove any reference to heart

disease, cancer etc. Generic claims are OK, such as general claims

that it improves health, good for digestion etc. Also, links to

websites that make health claims are forbidden.

I am just wondering if you have any such restrictions in the US, and

warning UK retailers that this is the case and to be careful about

wording.

Sharon

[Guest guest]

> As some of you know, my son sells coconut oil through a UK website.

> Recently he was visited by someone from the Britih Trading Standards

> Agency and the premises were inspected. Apparently somebody had

> complained about the health claims for coconut oil on the website.

> The inspection was OK, but then he got a letter giving instructions

> to remove all health claims about coconut oil from the website.

>

> A health claim is any claim that coconut oil can " prevent, treat or

> cure " human disease. So he has to remove any reference to heart

> disease, cancer etc. Generic claims are OK, such as general claims

> that it improves health, good for digestion etc. Also, links to

> websites that make health claims are forbidden.

> I am just wondering if you have any such restrictions in the US, and

> warning UK retailers that this is the case and to be careful about

> wording.

>

> Sharon

The FDA does not bother with claims on websites or printed material,

which are legal under free speech, but limits itself to package

labeling claims. The agency is highly underfunded and moves very

slowly, even to ban clearly dangerous consumer products (such as those

that have directly caused deaths).

[Guest guest]

Sharon,

May I suggest that your son post my website www.coconutresearchcenter.org on

his website for those people who want to be educated on the health benefits

of coconut. This is an educational website and not a commercial one so no

merchandise is sold or any particular company or brand promoted.

Bruce

Censorship: Coconut Health Claims

forbidden in UK

> As some of you know, my son sells coconut oil through a UK website.

> Recently he was visited by someone from the Britih Trading Standards

> Agency and the premises were inspected. Apparently somebody had

> complained about the health claims for coconut oil on the website.

> The inspection was OK, but then he got a letter giving instructions

> to remove all health claims about coconut oil from the website.

>

> A health claim is any claim that coconut oil can " prevent, treat or

> cure " human disease. So he has to remove any reference to heart

> disease, cancer etc. Generic claims are OK, such as general claims

> that it improves health, good for digestion etc. Also, links to

> websites that make health claims are forbidden.

> I am just wondering if you have any such restrictions in the US, and

> warning UK retailers that this is the case and to be careful about

> wording.

>

> Sharon

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

you made me panic for a moment! I googled the problem and this

article seems to explain it pretty well:

http://www.greatestherbsonearth.com/articles/anh_euban.htm

As far as I can see. the ban concerns food supplements and not

foods, which coocnut oil is, so it would not fall under the ban. But

the food supplement ban is bad enough. My son was being treated by a

natural health doctor for insomnia, and he found a very good herbal

remedy for it. Howeverm when we went to reorder, we were told the

product was no longer available as it was banned. This is bad enough

as it is... I sincerely hope that it can be successfully battled.

Hi Bruce, he already has a link to your website on the site.

However, it's likely that they will check your site as well and if

you say anything about heart disease, cancer, or make any health

claims about curing disease etc, he wil have to remove the link.

Sharon

[Guest guest]

Sharon,

There was an article I read a while ago that the EU would soon ban all natural

health related items including our coconut oil. Could this be the start of it?

This is to protect their pharmas.

Censorship: Coconut Health Claims forbidden

in UK

As some of you know, my son sells coconut oil through a UK website.

Recently he was visited by someone from the Britih Trading Standards

Agency and the premises were inspected. Apparently somebody had

complained about the health claims for coconut oil on the website.

The inspection was OK, but then he got a letter giving instructions

to remove all health claims about coconut oil from the website.

A health claim is any claim that coconut oil can " prevent, treat or

cure " human disease. So he has to remove any reference to heart

disease, cancer etc. Generic claims are OK, such as general claims

that it improves health, good for digestion etc. Also, links to

websites that make health claims are forbidden.

I am just wondering if you have any such restrictions in the US, and

warning UK retailers that this is the case and to be careful about

wording.

Sharon