North Face gets EPA fine for shoe claim (San Francisco)
North Face parent company, VF Outdoor Inc., has been ordered to pay a $207,500 fine to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for making unsubstantiated claims that some of the brand’s shoes could kill or stop the growth of bacteria.
The EPA issued a complaint against San Leandro-based VF Outdoor in October and since determined that 60 North Face shoe products violated the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.
The act stipulates that products that claim to kill or repel bacteria or germs are considered pesticides and must be registered with the EPA prior to distribution or sale.
“EPA will take decisive action against companies making unverified public health claims,” said Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator of EPA’s Pacific Southwest region. “Unless these products are registered with EPA, consumers have little or no information about whether their claims are accurate.”
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