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Chinese ‘breast-enhancing’ coconut drink rapped over inflated claims

BEIJING — Can a coconut drink boost a woman’s bust size? That is what an advertisement for a popular beverage in China seems to suggest.

Nutritionists have questioned a Chinese ad claiming that coconuts can make a woman "bosomy". Photo: www.freeimages.com

Nutritionists have questioned a Chinese ad claiming that coconuts can make a woman "bosomy". Photo: www.freeimages.com

BEIJING — Can a coconut drink boost a woman’s bust size? That is what an advertisement for a popular beverage in China seems to suggest.

The online advert for the drink Coconut Palm has been criticised for its “unsophisticated” language and unsubstantiated claims, according to Chinese media.

The advert, produced by Coconut Palm Group, the biggest drinks producer in Hainan province, features a young woman with a plunging neckline and holding a bottle of the coconut milk.

Beside her is a slogan that reads: “A can a day and you’ll be white, tender and bosomy.”

However, nutritionists have questioned the advert’s claims, The Beijing News reported.

The drink was not a nutritional product and unable to make such claims under Chinese regulations, the report said.

The advert has also prompted complaints from social media users in China.

A customer service staff member at the Coconut Palm Group was quoted as saying the drink did not include any new ingredients, but defended the advertisement saying some South-east Asian countries believe that coconut drinks can help enlarge a woman’s breasts.

“We saw this benefit from a Hong Kong newspaper in 1997. Our manager recently felt it could be included as part of our marketing. So we used it as a reference,” the employee told the newspaper.

The firm said it had not conducted any studies into the drink’s breast enhancement abilities, the report added.

The drink, which has been on the market for decades, has previously been branded a national beverage as it is frequently supped at national banquets.

This is not the first time the beverage maker has sparked controversy over its advertisements.

A pomegranate juice was given a marketing slogan in 2009 that read, “Wives love husbands who drink it.”

The drinks producer’s advertising firm was sued 1,000 yuan (S$206.43) for publishing the advert without official authorisation. SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

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