Chromium supplement maker Nutrition 21 announced this week that it has filed an action for damages for false and misleading advertising against InterHealth Nutraceuticals in the Federal Court in New York. The company is asking the court to order California-based InterHealth to conduct or pay for corrective advertising and to pay treble damages to Nutrition 21.

The complaint alleges that InterHealth's advertising misleads customers and consumers by falsely claiming that InterHealth's ChromeMate chromium nicotinate is safer and more bioavailable than Nutrition 21's Chromax chromium picolinate.

"We believe that InterHealth is misrepresenting the studies that InterHealth is relying on to support their product safety and bioavailability claims," commented Gail Montgomery, CEO and president of Nutrition 21 .

Purchase, New York-based Nutrition 21 holds 35 patents for nutrition products, including 22 for chromium compounds and their uses.