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Ribena – Provided Misleading Information for 55 Years
Generations of Australian children have been raised on Ribena, because television and print advertising told their parents that the blackcurrants used in Ribena contained four times the Vitamin C contained in oranges.
While this is factually correct (on a weight for weight basis, blackcurrants do contain four times as much Vitamin C as oranges) the advertising actually implied that Ribena contained four times as much Vitamin C as contained in comparable orange juice products. This is quite simply incorrect and therefore misleading.
In January this year, a published analysis of Ribena by consumer watchdog Choice revealed that Ribena consisted of little more than sugar and water. Its advertised ingredient – blackcurrants – made up just 5% of the content and even that was a processed product made from blackcurrant concentrate.
Ribena is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the second largest pharmaceutical company in the world. The British based giant last year turned a profit of more than $17 Billion and curiously insists that it has not been misleading consumers with its advertising for Ribena over the past 55 years. While it stands by the comparative Vitamin C claim, GSK does accept that there is a potential for confusion in the manner by which the claim has been expressed.
GSK is facing court action in New Zealand over the advertising claims but has escaped similar action in Australia by self-reporting the “allegedly misleading representations” to the ACCC. Subsequent to the self-reporting GSK worked with the ACCC to determine actions required to reduce possible confusion in the future.
These actions included removing any and all representations of Vitamin C content compared to orange juice on product labels and advertising. Public notices regarding the alleged misleading representations were to be displayed in retail outlets and on the GSK web site. GSK have also undertaken to publish an article for industry on the importance of being accurate when making representations to consumers.
For more information contact:
Steve Moses on 0417 242 076 or email