Bragg Raises Concerns with Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies

Santa Barbara, CA—Bragg Live Food Products has announced findings from a national consumer survey regarding the perception of health benefits of apple cider vinegar (ACV) in liquid and supplement forms. Highlighted findings of the survey, which was conducted by market research firm Ipsos:

50% of respondents currently use, or have previously used ACV for health and wellness reasons.
58% of current users believe ACV gummies provide the same health benefits as liquid ACV.

A press release from Bragg outlined issues with this, citing concerns that gummies do not contain enough acetic acid. Bragg explained: "Apple cider vinegar has been used for years by consumers as part of their health and wellness routines. 750mg of acetic acid, the active ingredient in apple cider vinegar, has been clinically proven in 30 studies with over 1,000 participants, including two comprehensive meta-analyses in 2021 (one from the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics published by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the other from BioMed Central complementary medicine and therapies published by the International Society for Complementary Medicine Research), to provide many health benefits, including supporting healthy cholesterol, blood sugar, and weight levels."Diane Kull, VP of R&D and Quality at Bragg, added, "Third-party lab testing shows that you would have to take 30 of the leading ACV gummy to equal one daily dose of liquid ACV (one tablespoon)."

Bragg has challenged claims made by Goli, and the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs recommended in January 2022 that Goli "discontinue or modify its advertising to avoid conveying the unsupported message that the amount of ACV contained in its gummies is associated with the health benefits of traditional liquid ACV."

Bragg also noted in the current press release that gummies "almost always contain added sugar, which helps with taste, but certainly does not help with blood sugar levels."

"First and foremost, we want consumers to be aware of unsubstantiated health claims of ACV supplements delivered in gummy supplement format, and we advocate for more transparency in product labeling," saidLinda Boardman, Bragg CEO, in the release. "In order for the survey findings we are issuing today to have been even more impactful, we would have had to provide them to the National Advertising Division at the time when we originally issued our complaint about the questionable health claims of the leading ACV gummy brand's products. Though we have evidence of consumer confusion caused by that particular product in the marketplace, as explained here, this evidence was not admissible for the NAD's review process. Still, we feel a responsibility to shine a light on the truth about ACV gummies and we are pleased that our efforts are making a difference."

Bragg Scientific Advisory Board member Dr. Jeffrey B. Blumberg, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of nutrition science and policy at Tufts University, advised: "Consumers should know to look for ACV products with labels that list proper dose (750 mg) of acetic acid and have no added sugar. That can be difficult when many brands do not offer that detail on their nutritional label. Those products should be avoided. Also, if a label lists an amount of 'apple cider vinegar powder,' one cannot assume that means the appropriate dose of acetic acid is included. In fact, most formulas use ACV of 5% acid content, meaning 750 mg of ACV powder yields just 37.5mg of acetic acid – or 5% of the clinically proven daily dosage. Considering the amount of money consumers spend on non-efficacious ACV gummies which have very little acetic acid, ACV gummies seem like very expensive candy more than anything else."