Abbott Laboratories “purposely marketed” toddler milks to portray them as the next recommended step in a child’s diet – but the sugary drinks can actually cause health issues like obesity, according to a lawsuit.
The maker of Similac-branded products was accused of deceptively advertises the toddler milk products to parents of children aged 12 to 36 months in a complaint filed Tuesday in US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by Public Health Advocacy Institute.
“Toddler milk is purposely marketed and labeled to look like infant formula,” said Andrew Rainer, the attorney at PHAI leading the case. “It sits on shelves next to infant formula, and is promoted as the next stage in child nutrition – all in an attempt to convince parents and caregivers to buy a product toddlers don’t need.”
The Similac milk is sold in the same-size cans and tubs, labeled similarly and sold on the same shelves as its baby formula. But unlike the baby formula, its toddler products are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, according to PHAI, a non-profit legal research center located at Northeastern University.
“This case is without merit,” an Abbott spokesperson told The Post in a statement. “Abbott’s representations of its toddler nutrition products are accurate, and our claims are well-supported.”
The class action suit wants Abbott to change its marketing practices and return money spent on the products to customers.
The lawsuit accuses Abbott of creating products called “transition formulas,” “follow-on formulas,” “weaning formulas” and “toddler milks” to boost earnings as infant formula sales declined.
Between 2006 and 2015, advertising spending on such products quadrupled, according to the suit. And the toddler drinks have become quite a lucrative business – averaging more than $500 million in sales each year since 2018, the suit said.
The “Go & Grow Toddler Drink by Similac” and “Pure Bliss Toddler Drink by Similac” are labeled “Stage 3” products – indicating they are the next recommended step after Abbott’s “Stage 1” baby formula and “Stage 2” transitional formula, according to PHAI.
But alongside not being regulated by the FDA, toddler milk is not recommended by nutritional experts, the institute argued.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children older than 12 months have water and cow’s milk.
“More than just unnecessary, toddler milk products can actually be harmful to a child’s nutritional health,” said Dr. George Fuchs, professor of pediatric gastroenterology at the University of Kentucky, who led the AAP report on toddler milks.
“The added sugars can increase a toddler’s preference for sweetened foods, contributing to obesity and other health risks throughout their lives,” Fuchs said.
Abbott’s toddler milk products each contain four grams of added sugar per serving – or about 20% added sugar, according to the lawsuit.
Last year, the formula maker was ordered to pay nearly $500 million in damages in a separate suit after a jury found its Similac products caused a young girl to develop a dangerous bowel disease.
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