KFC agrees to end ads touting healthfulness of fried chicken
KFC agrees to end ads touting healthfulness of fried chicken
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - KFC can no longer claim that its fried chicken is compatible with popular low-carb diets, U.S. regulators said Thursday in settling complaints about the restaurant chain's ads.
KFC also may not run advertisements saying that eating its food is healthier than eating another food unless it can back up the claims scientifically, the agreement with the Federal Trade Commission stipulates.
The settlement stemmed from a complaint filed with the FTC by the Center for Science in the Public Interest over two KFC television advertisements. KFC pulled the ads in November.
In one of the spots, a couple trying to begin eating healthier sits down with a bucket of fried chicken. The other claims that two original-recipe chicken breasts have less fat than a Whopper. Both briefly flash disclaimers saying fried chicken is not low in fat, cholesterol or sodium.
Michael Jacobson, executive director for the centre, applauded the action but said the decision was too little too late. The centre also believes KFC should be fined.
"It stops the company from running ads it already stopped. That's not much of a deterrent," he said. "There's no real cost other than the lawyers' fees involved."
KFC spokeswoman Bonnie Warschauer said the company believes the ads were "truthful and factually accurate," but settled the case to avoid a lingering dispute.
"We're sorry if anyone may have misinterpreted these two ads ... that was never our intent," she said.
FTC chairman Timothy Muris said the settlement is a signal to advertisers that the commission will not tolerate "misleading advertisements" to weight-conscious consumers.
"For consumers to obtain healthier choices, we must make sure that companies promote their products honestly," he said.
