Strides Pharma UK: ‘Suitable for vegetarians’ claim for StritVit D3 ruled misleading (AUTH/3620/3/22)

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Key facts

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Case	AUTH/3620/3/22
Complainant	Anonymous, contactable complainant (pharmacist)
Company	Strides Pharma UK Ltd
Product	StritVit / Strivit D3 (colecalciferol, vitamin D3)
Material	Sales poster headed “Switch & save 30% with … StritvVit D3” including claim “Nut and soya free, suitable for vegetarians”
Main issue	“Suitable for vegetarians” claim despite bovine (limed bone) gelatin in capsules
Applicable Code year	2021
Clauses breached	Clause 5.1; Clause 6.1
Complaint received	15 March 2022
Case completed	9 November 2022 (PDF) / Completed 01 November 2022 (case page)
Appeal	No appeal
Sanctions	Undertaking received; Additional sanctions: Not stated
Panel note	Panel was concerned about revised wording “some vegetarians” and asked that Strides be made aware of its concerns

Reviewed by Dr Anzal Qurbain (FFPM) — ABPI Final Signatory

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An anonymous, contactable complainant (a pharmacist) challenged a Strides promotional poster for StritVit D3 (colecalciferol, vitamin D3) that stated “Nut and soya free, suitable for vegetarians”.
The complaint was forwarded to the PMCPA by the MHRA.
The complainant said the capsules contained gelatin derived from beef bones and that the “suitable for vegetarians” claim could mislead patients and health professionals.
Strides provided an explanation by email stating the product was not suitable for vegans but was suitable for vegetarians because the gelatin was “limed bone gelatine from beef bones and cartilages (not meat)”, and referenced halal/kosher status.
Strides argued definitions of “vegetarian” vary and said it had asked its external marketing agent (15 March 2022) to change the wording to “suitable for some vegetarians” with a footnote about bovine gelatin; it later removed the wording entirely from April 2022.
The Panel considered the sensitivity and importance of “vegetarian status” claims for medicines and assessed how UK health professionals and the public would interpret the claim.

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The Panel ruled the claim that StritVit was “vegetarian” was misleading in the circumstances, because it would likely be interpreted in the UK as being free from animal-derived gelatin.
Breach of Clause 6.1 was ruled.
The Panel also ruled that high standards were not maintained given the sensitivities involved.
Breach of Clause 5.1 was ruled.
No appeal.

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