Kids Vitamins: Get Your Refund Here After $2.1 Million Settlement For False Eye, Brain Health Claims

By Howard Koplowitz | August 16 2012 3:14 PM

If you bought children's vitamins featuring Disney and Marvel characters, you're entitled to a refund after the companies peddling the products entered a $2.1 million settlement with the U.S. government for making false and unsubstantiated claims.

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If you bought kids vitamins featuring Disney and Marvel characters, you're entitled to a refund after the companies peddling the products entered a $2.1 million settlement with the government for making false and unsubstantiated claims.

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The kids vitamins made by NBTY, NatureSmart and Rexall Sundown misrepresented their products by saying they promoted healthy brain and eye development in children despite no substantial proof to back up the claims, the Federal Trade Commission announced.

The kids vitamins were sold at CVS, Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, Kroger, Kmart, Meijer and Rite Aid and featured Disney princesses, Winnie the Pooh, Finding Nemo and Spider-Man on the packaging.

The companies claimed their kids vitamins contained enough DHA - an Omega-3 fatty acid - to aid children with healthy brain and eye development.

"Product packaging and print ads promoting the vitamins had bold graphics highlighting that the products contained DHA, but in reality, the products allegedly had only a trace amount of DHA," the FTC said in a statement. "While the vitamins' packaging touted the purported health benefits of 100 milligrams of DHA, a daily serving of the Disney and Marvel multivitamins for children ages four years and older contained only one thousandth of that amount (0.1 mg or 100 mcg), according to the FTC's complaint."

If you bought the kids vitamins, you can apply for your refund here.

NBTY, NatureSmart and Rexall Sundown agreed to a $2.1 million settlement to refund buyers of their products since the claims were unsubstantiated.

As part of the settlement, the companies can no longer misrepresent the amount of any ingredient contained in their products. It also prevents them from misrepresenting any ingredient, including DHA, as promoting brain or eye health the claims are "true and backed by competent and reliable scientific evidence."

The FTC said it would reach out to affected consumers "in the coming months." The agency voted 5-0 to approve the complaint against the kids vitamins.