US company plans to launch shellfish slimming product

A new slimming product made from shellfish is being launched in the UK.

Fat Binder, which reduces the amount of fat taken up by the body, is being sold through health food shops and chemists, with a press advertising campaign through Butler Lutos Sutton Wilkinson.

Butler Lutos is known to have had difficulty in gaining approval for its ads from the Advertising Standards Authority, which has strict rules relating to the advertising of slimming products and dietary supplements.

The agency has decided not to make any specific claims for the product in its ads, running instead the strapline – “Fat Binder. The name speaks for itself.”

Consumers are told they can find out more at health food shops and chemists, where there will be leaflets on the product at point of sale.

Made by US company PharmaNutrients International, Fat Binder is already available in North America and Asia and is now being pushed in the UK by distributor Nature’s Store.

It consists of capsules made from the fibre found in shellfish, and according to Nature’s Store, will bind 12 times its weight in dietary fat and pass it through the body.