Gerber to Pull ‘Deceptive’ Advertisements

Gerber Products Co. has promised to halt “deceptive” claims that four out of five pediatricians recommend its baby food, the Federal Trade Commission said. The agency said Gerber relied on a survey of 562 doctors that found only 67 out of 408, or 16%, recommended its baby food. Fremont, Mich.-based Gerber, a unit of Swiss pharmaceutical and chemical company Novartis, acknowledged problems with its ad. An FTC representative said the campaign, which ran on television, radio and in print, “skewed the results of the study by weeding out doctors” who didn’t give the desired answers. The study found that of the 562 doctors surveyed, 408 recommended baby food at least once a week, 76 recommended a specific brand and 67 recommended Gerber.