WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Federal regulators have reached a settlement with KFC related to the fast-food chicken restaurant's advertisements, which portrayed its food as being fit for dieters and those dedicated to eating better.
The head of the Federal Trade Commission (search) said Thursday his agency had reached a settlement with Yum Brands Inc.'s (YUM) unit over the health claims made last year in fried chicken advertisements.
"We negotiated a tough consent agreement with them and we're announcing that today," FTC Chairman Timothy Muris told an obesity conference. He added that KFC has agreed to not make misleading health claims.
Last year the FTC began probing a complaint by a health advocacy group about the ads, one of which featured a woman setting down a bucket of fried chicken in front of her husband as they affirmed their dedication to eating better.
The second advertisement focused on chicken as a low-carbohydrate, high-protein food fit for dieters.
The group, Center for Science in the Public Interest (search), had charged the ads were misleading.
There was no immediate comment on the settlement from KFC. The fast-food chain defended the ads last year, providing facts on how KFC's Original Recipe (search) fried chicken could be part of a balanced diet.
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