Four Loko, a fruit flavored malt beverage previously linked to hospitalizations and deaths among American youngsters, will soon be packaged with a label clearly describing information on serving sizes as well as being resealable. This new development stems from the final settlement between Four Loko’s producer Phusion Projects and the Federal Trade Commission.
The labels, which will appear on the back of all cans containing more than two servings will describe what a serving size is and point out that each serving contains 0.6 ounces of alcohol. Being able to reseal the cans will hopefully lead to consumers better realizing that the product doesn’t have to be consumed in one sitting.
The settlement leading to the packaging changes is the conclusion of a charge of deceptive marketing made by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The FTC said that ads for Four Loko falsely claimed that a 23.5-ounce can (over 500 ml) contained the equivalent of one to two cans of beer. In reality the number lies closer to four to five beers.
This is the second time that Phusion Projects has altered Four Loko. Back in 2010 it was the content, instead of the packaging that got revised. In anticipation of a FTC crackdown on caffeinated alcoholic drinks, the company removed caffeine, guarana and taurine from the formula.
Source: NPR.org 02/12/13