Coca-Cola China: Vitaminwater legal in China

Coca-Cola's new vitamin drink is the subject of a "misleading" advertising campaign in the United States, according to 21st Century Business Herald, but Coca-Cola China said on June 3, "We are confident that Glacéau Vitaminwater in the Chinese market fully complies with relevant national laws and regulations."

Glacéau Vitaminwater hit the Chinese market in November 2009. Posters and leaflets for Vitaminwater claimed that the drink had "more muscles than brussels" and would cause those who imbibed it to "keep perky when you're feeling murky."

An ad for the product said: "Popeye had it easy. A can of spinach and he bulked up... the nutrients in this bottle won't enable you to walk on mud, or become a strapping sailor man, but they will help you beat your granny in arm wrestling."

On Aug, 1 this year, the U.S. Time magazine reported that the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) sued Glacéau Vitaminwater for misleading advertising, and Coca-Cola's request for revocation proceedings was rejected by the court.

American professional survey Web site Examiner said that Coca-Cola admitted in court that Glacéau Vitaminwater was not a healthy drink.

According to CSPI nutritionists, the 33 grams of sugar in each bottle of VitaminWater do more to promote obesity, diabetes and other health problems than the vitamins in the drinks do to perform the advertised benefits listed on the bottles.

Coca-Cola China Company said "sugar itself is a source of energy needed by the body. If a person takes in too much, exercise too little, they will definitely get fat. From the scientific point of view there is no one food the real cause of obesity. The key is to maintain the balance between food and exercise, and people should not simply blame the food."

"In fact, Vitaminwater contains less sugar than many drinks, and it provides consumers with other needed nutrients. Thirteen grams of sugar per 240 ml Vitaminwater is half the amount of many sugary drinks." Coca-Cola China said.

By Huang Beibei, People's Daily Online