Drink to Lose Belly Fat? ABC Juice Is Not a Health Supplement

Unfair advertising cases claiming disease treatment and efficacy of ABC juice. Data provided by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Recently, ABC juice has become a hot topic among dieters. The name comes from the first letters of apple, beet, and carrot, and it is known that Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow also enjoys drinking it. It is popular to the extent that the juice ingredients are sold out on online shopping malls due to word of mouth that it helps eliminate belly fat and visceral fat and detoxifies the intestines and liver. However, health authorities emphasized that ABC juice is a general food product, not a health functional food, and does not have efficacy in disease prevention or treatment.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on the 4th that it had detected 175 cases of false and exaggerated advertisements claiming body fat reduction, detox, and cleanse effects in fruit and vegetable juices, fruit and vegetable beverages, and mixed beverage products, including ABC juice. This inspection was conducted from July targeting fruit and vegetable juice products sold in online shopping malls to prevent consumer damage from unfair advertisements, especially as demand for diet products surges in the summer season.

The main violations detected were ▲ claims of disease prevention or treatment effects (10 cases) ▲ advertisements causing misunderstanding or confusion by presenting general foods as health functional foods (96 cases) ▲ false or exaggerated advertisements related to effects or efficacy on body tissues (53 cases) ▲ deceptive advertisements expressing efficacy or effects of ingredients (14 cases) ▲ confusion with pharmaceuticals (2 cases), etc.

Advertisements mentioning disease names such as ‘anti-cancer,’ ‘anti-aging,’ ‘cardiovascular disease,’ ‘good for diabetes,’ and ‘non-alcoholic fatty liver’ while implying efficacy in disease prevention or treatment, or including phrases that could cause misunderstanding or confusion as health functional foods such as ‘for those worried about abdominal obesity,’ ‘effective for belly and visceral fat,’ ‘diet,’ ‘body fat reduction,’ and ‘neutral fat level reduction’ were detected.

Advertisements that falsely exaggerated bodily functions or effects such as ‘waste discharge,’ ‘vascular cleaner’ for cleanse juices, or ‘detox,’ ‘toxin discharge,’ ‘detoxification,’ ‘juice that detoxifies my body,’ and advertisements that deceived consumers regarding the efficacy or effects of raw materials such as ‘beet ? antioxidant components, apple ? fat decomposition enzymes and toxin discharge,’ ‘△△ contains antioxidants,’ ‘noni good for inflammation treatment,’ ‘diet effect of chicory root,’ and ‘□□ components have excellent antioxidant activity’ were also included.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety plans to request site blocking for online shopping malls selling these products and take administrative actions against violating companies. It will also respond strongly with administrative measures and criminal charges against companies that repeatedly and intentionally violate regulations.

The Ministry emphasized, “ABC drinks and others are general foods,” and urged, “Do not be misled by advertisements claiming efficacy in disease prevention or treatment when purchasing products.”