Tahitian Noni gets noticed

PROVO — The national profile of Tahitian Noni Juice continues to rise — for better or worse.

Provo-based Tahitian Noni International is one of the fastest-growing companies in Utah, but while the juice fueling the company's profits adds endorsers like NBA superstar Chauncey Billups and enjoys unsolicited plugs from radio talk-show curmudgeon Don Imus and NFL lightning rod Terrell Owens, it also has been the the subject of two negative television reports in recent weeks.

First, the CBS affiliate in Los Angeles sent a news team undercover and found two Tahitian Noni distributors making improper claims about the drink's health benefits.

Then ABC's national morning show "Good Morning America" aired a segment that said noni juice in general naturally contains some helpful vitamins and minerals but only provides an energy boost because of its high natural sugar content. That report came just one month after the show's co-host, Robin Roberts, revealed on air that she drinks noni juice for breakfast each morning. Roberts uses a different brand from Tahitian Noni.

The two Los Angeles women who tried to sell Tahitian Noni Juice to the undercover television news reporters shared testimonials that the juice healed bad burns on one woman, restored eyesight to another suffering from macular degeneration and helped an AIDS patient survive.

"Even dementia," one distributor said, "if it's caught that early, then it will put it in reverse."

The company is investigating the incident, said Andre Peterson, Tahitian Noni director of public relations.

"Distributors are not allowed to make curative or income claims, as the company is not allowed to make those kinds of claims," Peterson said. "Tahitian Noni Juice enhances the immune system; it is high in antioxidants and high in free radicals, so it enhances energy."

The company has 1.3 million distributors worldwide, Peterson said, and a team of 32 compliance managers around the world checking Web sites and advertising created by distributors.

"If we find a distributor has made claims, we'll investigate," he said. "We'll send them a letter and ask them for their side. If they have made medical claims, we educate them and ask them to make a commitment not to make claims in the future. If they continue to make claims, we take action and place them on suspension. If they still continue, we discontinue them as distributors."