Four Loko, a popular alcoholic caffeinated drink, will soon undergo repackaging in order to satisfy a charge of deceptive advertising made by the Federal Trade Commission, according to recent news sources.
The argument is over how much alcohol the product contains. Phusion Projects, the marketers of the beverage, stated that Four Lokos have the same amount of alcohol as one or two 12 ounce beers. The Federal Trade Commission reports that the beverage actually has as much as four or five 12 ounce beers.
The new packaging requires a label that states how much alcohol is in the drink, in relation to how much alcohol a beer contains. They also are required to package the drink in resealable containers only.
The settlement has been an issue since November of 2010, when Four Loko was sent a letter from the FTC claiming that their marketing was deceptive. The makers of Four Loko have agreed to remove caffeine and other stimulants as well.
As a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, I am glad to see that the FTC is enforcing a strict label policy. In my practice as a product liabilty lawyer, I’ve seen how incorrect or deceptive labels can mislead a consumer. For the safety of the consumer, it’s best to fully disclose ingredients of a product.
