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2007-9-3 13:42:29 |
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Enviga claimed to burn your calories Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal yesterday announced that his office had been investigating the claim by Beverage Partners Worldwide (BPW) that its new soft drink, known as Enviga, helps people burn calories. In November, BPW, a joint venture between The Coca-Cola Company and Nestle USA, Inc. launched Enviga, an ordinary soft drink with green tea ingredients, in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia. The company claims that each can of Enviga causes a consumer to "end up burning more (calories) than you consume - so for the first time you can actually 'drink negative.'", according to the Attorney General office. "Consuming three cans of the carbonated caffeinated beverage over the course of a day helps increase calorie burning by an average of 106 calories", Blumenthal's office was citing the company as claiming. Blumenthal has already sent letters to BPW, coca-Cola and Nestle asking for evidence to substantiate their claims, including copies of all scientific studies, clinical trials, test and or papers that support the calorie-burning claims. Blumenthal has also demanded information about any group that may have sponsored the studies. And he asked that requested evidence be sent to his office by next week. "Unless there are credible scientific studies to support these calorie-burning claims, they may be nothing more than voodoo nutrition," Blumenthal said. "Promise of wondrous weight loss must be supported by science, not magic. These two reputable companies imperil their own credibility if they exploit the public's perennial impossible dream - a magical drink that may be perceived as a substitute for exercise and a balanced diet." The calorie-burning claim over Enviga has drawn attention from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a not-for-profit organization, which believes that the claims are fraudulent. "Enviga consists of carbonated water, calcium, concentrated green tea extract, various natural flavors and ingredients typically found in diet soda, such as caffeine (three diet colas' worth), phosphoric acid, and the artificial sweeteners aspartame and acesulfame potassium," according to a news release by the CSPI. According to the CSPI, many of Enviga's claims are based on a 72-hour Nestle-funded study of 31 healthy lean people. In the study, subjects were given a drink containing amounts of a green tea ingredient known as EGCG and caffeine equivalent to three cans of Enviga. According to a news release by Coca Cola, subjects experience an average increase in calorie burning by 60 -- 100 calories. The CSPI says that no studies on Enviga lasted more than three days. Long term testing is critical as the CSPI cited a European as finding that EGCG and caffeine did not increase energy expenditure after one month and did not help people lose weight. Another study in Japan did find that a tea fortified with EGCG and caffeine help people lose more weight than a control tea, but the CSPI said the study was conducted by a tea company on 38 of male employees of the company. Early in December, the CSPI served a formal notification to BWP, Coke and Nestle that they would be sued if they continued to use the calorie-burning and weight loss claims on Enviga labels and ads. The companies did not respond to say that they would discontinue the claims. On Feb 1, CSPI filed a suit against the beverage makers in U.S. District Court in New Jersey. Enviga is sold in a pack of 12 cans at $1.29 to $1.49 per can. According to the claims, three cans a day is needed to help burn calories, which would amount to 4 dollars a day or about $1,500 per year. "There is no clear evidence that what's in Enviga will help you control your weight," said CSPI senior nutritionist David Schardt. "You'd be much better off giving up non-diet soda, which costs nothing to do, or by joining a gym, which is typically less expensive than paying for 3 cans of Enviga a day." "This deceptive marketing campaign needs to be nipped in the bud before many more millions of Americans get ripped off," said Mark Cuker, one lawyer involved in the lawsuit from the firm of Williams Cuker Berezofsky, based in Cherry Hill, N.J. "Enviga burns more money than calories." Coca-Cola Monday announced "beginning this week, Enviga, the sparkling green tea proven to burn calories, will start appearing on store shelves across the U.S." "Enviga represents the perfect partnership of science and nature, providing an optimum blend of green tea extracts (EGCG) and caffeine," said Dr. Rhona Applebaum, chief scientist, The Coca-Cola Company. "Enviga is designed to work with your body to increase calorie burning. It creates a negative calorie effect -- in other words, you burn more calories than you get from drinking it. We believe consumers are smart and understand that Enviga is designed to complement, not replace, regular exercise, a sensible diet and other healthy choices they make throughout the day." "The accumulated body of scientific research shows that a combination of caffeine and green tea extract high in EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) invigorates metabolism to gently increase energy use," said Nestle researcher Dr. Hilary Green. Comments on Enviga from others are not all favorable. "It's so easy to get 100 extra calories out of your diet. I don't know that this is going to be the answer that people are looking for," Chris Rosembloom, nutrition professor, George State University was quoted by The Wall Street Journal as saying. "We are kidding ourselves if we think we can drink this and melt the pounds away. These companies are just playing on people's desires for a quick fix for weight loss." Lona Sandon, American Dietetic Association was quoted by Reuters as saying. "This amount of caffeine could even cause problems for people who are sensitive to caffeine." |
