VF Outdoor, Inc. will pay $207,500 for allegedly making unsubstantiated public health claims such as providing “antimicrobial protection” and inhibiting the growth of “disease-causing bacteria” for more than 60 shoe models sold under The North Face brand, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said.
Products discovered online and evidence found at a North Face retail store in San Francisco led EPA to issue a complaint against VF Outdoor in 2009 for violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
FIFRA requires companies register pesticide products with EPA before making claims about their ability to control germs or pathogens. While the North Face products all incorporated EPA-registered silver-based antimicrobial compounds to protect them against deterioration, they were never tested or registered to protect consumers against bacteria, fungus, mold, and/or mildew.
