Blumenthal
HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) - Two years after he began his investigation, Connecticut's Richard Blumenthal is one of several state attorneys general celebrating a settlement with Coke, Nestle and Beverage Partnership Worldwide.
Thursday, those companies agreed to re-label the drink Enviga, which claimed those who drank it would burn extra calories. Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia took part in the agreement, which will provide $650,000 to them.
Connecticut's general fund will receive more than $100,000 of that amount.
"The Enviga lesson is that weight loss requires sound diet and exercise, not simply a concoction of caffeine and green tea," Blumenthal said.
"Enviga's calorie-burning claims led to credibility loss more than weight loss. Its new labels must now state clearly that calorie burning and weight loss requires proper diet and exercise."
Enviga is produced by Beverage Partners Worldwide (BPW), the joint venture of Coca-Cola and Nestle, and is a green tea that contains caffeine, calcium and epigallocatechin gallate, also known as ECGC.
BPW says that ingredient speeds up the consumer's metabolism and increases his or her energy level. The drink also is a good source of calcium and contains antioxidants, BPW says.
Other states participating in today's agreement are: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and the District of Columbia.
From Legal Newsline: Reach John O'Brien by e-mail at john@legalnewsline.com.