Angel dusting

See angel dust for the illegal drug.

Angel dusting is the misleading marketing practice of including a minuscule amount of an active ingredient in a cosmetic, nutritional supplement or food insufficient to cause any measurable benefit. The advertising claims that the ingredient is helpful and that the ingredient is contained in the product, both of which are true (with the exception of some extreme cases where the ingredient is so diluted that most units of the product don't even contain a single molecule of the active ingredient). However, no claim is made that the product contains enough of the active ingredient to have an effect — it is just assumed by the purchaser. Thus, while misleading, angel dusting is typically legal.

Causes

Manufacturers have several reasons not to include sufficient quantities to have a measurable effect. Consumers want the benefits of the active ingredient, but are unwilling to pay the cost or risk the side effects of that ingredient, while businesses want to maximize profit and minimize risk.

• Cost. This ingredient may cost substantially more than other active or inactive ingredients. Thus, including a significant quantity would raise the price, or reduce the profit margin, of the product.

• Side effects. Effective ingredients also tend to have side effects. To minimize backlash from dissatisfied customers and possible lawsuits, yet still benefit from the appearance of including the ingredient, angel dusting may be employed. Ironically, the only way the consumer may know the quantity of the ingredient is from information supplied by the manufacturer while defending themselves from a lawsuit over side-effects.

• Insufficient labeling requirements. Consumer products generally are required to list ingredients, but not the quantities of each, which makes angel dusting difficult for the consumer to detect. A partial exception is in the area of food products, where some helpful ingredients, like fiber, may have specific quantities listed, although others, like omega-3 fatty acids, may not.

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