Vitamin Firm to Modify Claims

WASHINGTON — A nationwide food supplement chain has agreed to drop claims that some of its products help users lose weight, build muscle and heal more quickly, the Federal Trade Commission announced today.

Great Earth International of Santa Ana, Calif., which has about 150 retail outlets, signed a consent agreement promising to stop making the claims that the commission charged were false. According to the FTC, Great Earth falsely claimed that GHR Formula-P.M., currently being sold under the name Tri-Amino Plus P.M., would help users burn fat, firm up and build lean muscle tissue while sleeping. In addition, the agency said, the company falsely said its L-Ornithine and L-Argentine products would speed healing and protect against physical and mental fatigue.