Emergen-C is an effervescent, powdered

drink mix A drink mix is a processed-food product, designed to mix usually with water to produce a beverage resembling juice, soda, or other sweet products in flavor. Another type of drink mix is represented by products that are mixed into milk. Most drin ...

vitamin supplement manufactured by Alacer Corp. The Emergen-C product line was introduced in 1978. Alacer was established as a private company in 1972, focusing on vitamin supplements containing

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits, berries and vegetables. It is also a generic prescription medication and in some countries is sold as a non-prescription di ...

. The company was acquired by

Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered at The Spiral (New York City), The Spiral in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 184 ...

in 2012. In 2019, Pfizer consumer healthcare entered a joint venture with GSK. The brand is owned by

Haleon Haleon plc is a British multinational consumer healthcare company with headquarters in Weybridge, England. It is one of the largest consumer healthcare businesses in the world, with brands including Sensodyne toothpaste, Panadol and Advil pa ...

since 18 July 2022. It contains, depending on the variety, 16 times the

, 4 times the vitamin B₁₂, and 5 times the vitamin B₆ of the

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commerc ...

Reference Daily Intake In the U.S. and Canada, the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) is used in nutrition labeling on food and dietary supplement products to indicate the daily intake level of a nutrient that is considered to be sufficient to meet the requirements of 97� ...

based on a 2000-

calorie The calorie is a unit of energy that originated from the caloric theory of heat. The large calorie, food calorie, dietary calorie, kilocalorie, or kilogram calorie is defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one liter o ...

diet. Some versions include

calcium Calcium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to it ...

glucosamine Glucosamine (C6H13NO5) is an amino sugar and a prominent precursor in the biochemical synthesis of glycosylated proteins and lipids. Glucosamine is part of the structure of two polysaccharides, chitosan and chitin. Glucosamine is one of the mo ...

quercetin Quercetin is a plant flavonol from the flavonoid group of polyphenols. It is found in many fruits, vegetables, leaves, seeds, and grains; capers, red onions, and kale are common foods containing appreciable amounts of it. It has a bitter flavor ...

, or

lycopene Lycopene is an organic compound classified as a tetraterpene and a carotene. Lycopene (from the Neo-Latin '' Lycopersicon'', the name of a former tomato genus) is a bright red carotenoid hydrocarbon found in tomatoes and other red fruits and ve ...

Manufacturing

Pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) moved forward on plans to close its manufacturing plant in

Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census ...

by mid-2021, several regional news organizations reported in 2012. Production of Emergen-C powdered vitamin C supplement drink mix products at the site was to be shifted to a facility in

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

Ingredients

GMO A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The exact definition of a genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic engineering varies, with ...

ingredients are used. The Alacer website states: "We have chosen to source non-GMO materials whenever possible. That being said, we cannot guarantee that all of our raw materials are sourced from non-GMO ingredients and do not currently have this requirement in place for our vendors". Most products do not contain animal-derived ingredients, but certain products contain

chondroitin A chondroitin is a chondrin derivative. Types include: * Chondroitin sulfate * Dermatan sulfate Chondroitin as a supplement is now commonly used (often in combination with glucosamine) in treating the joint disease of osteoarthritis. In contra ...

from cows,

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...

, and vitamin D₃ from wool.

Emergen-C class-action lawsuit

In December 2013, a superior court judge preliminarily approved a $6.45 million settlement to a

class action A class action is a form of lawsuit. Class Action may also refer to: * ''Class Action'' (film), 1991, starring Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio * Class Action (band), a garage house band * "Class Action" (''Teenage Robot''), a 2002 e ...

filed against Alacer Corp. for allegedly deceptively marketing the supplement Emergen-C. The complaint, which was filed earlier in the year, alleges that the company misleadingly represents that the supplement provides health benefits, including reducing the risk of or preventing

colds The common cold, or the cold, is a virus, viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the Respiratory epithelium, respiratory mucosa of the human nose, nose, throat, Paranasal sinuses, sinuses, and larynx. ...

and

flu Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...

, without scientific evidence to support such claims. According to the settlement terms, class members may receive a refund of up to $36 with proof of purchase. (''Wong et al v. Alacer Corp,'' Case No. CGC-12-519221, Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco.) A superior court judge gave final approval of the settlement to this lawsuit in June 2014.

Charitable activities

In 1997, Alacer established the Emergen-C Fund, which has raised more than $650,000. This fund provides support to Vitamin Angels,

Surfrider Foundation The Surfrider Foundation is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit environmental organization that works to protect and preserve the world's oceans, waves and beaches. It focuses on plastic reduction, water quality, beach access, beach and surf spot preser ...

, Keep A Breast Foundation,

Young Survival Coalition Young Survival Coalition (YSC) is an international organization focusing on young adults diagnosed with breast cancer ages 40 and under. Founded in 1998 by three young women with breast cancer, YSC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in the United S ...

, and

Whole Foods Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined. Examples of whole foods include grains such as oatmeal and rice, fruits, vegetables, dried beans, nuts, seeds, unprocessed meats, and fish. Depending on the context this may sometimes refe ...

' Whole Planet Foundation. Alacer sponsors

Operation Gratitude The South China Sea raid (designated Operation Gratitude) was an operation conducted by the United States Third Fleet between 10 and 20 January 1945 during the Pacific War of World War II. The raid was undertaken to support the liberation of L ...

, a volunteer organization that has sent care packages to U.S. troops in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. In 2008, Emergen-C teamed up with surf artist

Jay Alders Jay Alders is an American fine artist, (home) photographer and graphic designer. He is best known for his original surf art paintings, live painting and is a well-known profile in surf culture for his work with musicians, artists and cause organ ...

to create art for the packaging of their new product/flavor, Emergen-C Blue, with 25 cents donated to Surfrider Foundation for each box sold.Emergen-C , Surfrider Foundation
. Retrieved 2013 November 29.

References

External links