Advertising flimflam is part of the way of things these days, and we all take it with a generous pinch of salt.

In the UK, claims have to be compliant with a set of rules that are set by the Advertising Standards Authority – legal, decent, honest and truthful. That’s all it takes, but advertisers always want to push the boundaries.

A recent press release issued via MarketWatch goes that little bit further.

With the intention of promoting Rotoblock Corp, the press release begins:

“In May, China reported more than 982,932 cases of infectious diseases resulting in 1,575 deaths, but no cases of SARS thanks in part to new government policies and a breakthrough in medical waste treatment from Rotoblock Corp”.

The “breakthrough in medical waste treatment” is an autoclave! Not exactly new technology, and hardly a “breakthrough” that Rotoblock can claim to promote their equipment. The real breakthrough, if one exists, is safely managing clinical wastes where previously no satisfactory waste treatment existed or was used; how that is done is somewhat irrelevant as long as it done safely and effectively. If Rotoblock would contest that, the rejoinder must be to ask for evidence that the processing of clinical wastes, by whatever technology, had any impact of the progression of the SARS epidemic or made any difference to the significant routes or frequency of transmission.

I am confident in saying that the claim is nonsense. So, leave it  out chaps!