At present, complaints about health foods are mainly concentrated on inflated claims and false propaganda. Some merchants take advantages of that some consumers do not understand the concept of health foods and sell health foods as medicines to deceive consumers. The common methods and wording regarding false propaganda of health foods are as follows: 

a) By publishing health food advertisements in the form of news or reports; by exaggerating certain health conditions or diseases, or by describing the physical conditions that are easily caused by certain diseases, misleading the public about their own health, consumer may consider it will cause certain diseases or deterioration in their health if they do not consume certain health foods.

b) Describing the functional characteristics and mechanism of certain health food by using professional terminology, mystical wording and other words which are difficult for the public to understand. 

c) By using the image or in the name of authorities, medical institutions, academic institutions, industrial organisations, experts, medical professionals or consumers to prove the efficacy of the health food.

d) Containing contents such as “scientific or research finding” or “experiment or data proof” that cannot be /confirm/ied; or by comparing with other health foods, medicines, medical devices, etc., and depreciating other products.

e) By using superstitions to promote health foods; claiming the health food as ancestral secrets; or containing “get refunds if ineffective”, “insured by insurance company” and other contents.; or containing "safe", "non-toxic”, “no side effects" and "no habit-forming" and other commitments; or containing "latest technology", “highest scientific level”, "the most advanced system" and other absolute terms and expressions; which all belong to inflated claims and false propaganda of health foods.

Source: SAMR


Recommended readings: 
Analysis|Fraud and False Propaganda of Food and Health Food


Please note: Original English article of Global Foodmate of Information Service and Business Department, please indicate the source from the Global Foodmate if reprint.