P&G Warned Over Vitamin C In Vicks Products

Chrissie Cole

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Proctor & Gamble Co. was warned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday that its Vicks cold formulas with Vitamin C have false and misleading labeling, according to the AP.

The agency issued a warning letter to the company, saying the agency’s list of approved ingredients for over-the-counter cold-cough products does not allow for the combination of vitamin C with the other active ingredients in the two products.

Advertising for Vicks says the vitamin “can help blunt” the effects of a common cold. But a panel of experts “found no study which concluded that vitamin C is effective for the prevention or treatment of common cold,” said the FDA.

The FDA said that listing vitamin C as an inactive ingredient, but also listing it as a dietary ingredient in the "Supplement Facts" section of the products' packaging, was misleading and likely to confuse consumers.

Similar actions have been taken with other products. In fact, last October, the FDA said two over-the-counter Bayer aspirin products that contain dietary supplements have not been proven to work and were being sold illegally.