The FTC has issued a Notice that it has determined that certain acts or practices concerning substantiation of product claims are deceptive or unfair and violate the FTC Act.
- Notice of Penalty Offenses Concerning Substantiation of Product Claims (2023)
- Sample cover letter sent to recipients of this Notice
- Related Press Release: FTC Warns Almost 700 Marketing Companies That They Could Face Civil Penalties if They Can’t Back Up Their Product Claims
The FTC administrative decisions establishing penalty offenses concerning substantiation of product claims:
- ECM Biofilms, Inc., 160 F.T.C. 652 (2015), aff’d 851 F.3d 599 (6th Cir. 2017)
- POM Wonderful, LLC, 155 F.T.C. 1 (2013), aff’d in part, 777 F.3d 478 (D.C. Cir. 2015)
- Daniel Chapter One, 148 F.T.C. 832 (2009), aff’d, 405 Fed. App’x 505 (D.C. Cir. 2010)
- Auto. Breakthrough Scis., Inc., 126 F.T.C. 229 (1998)
- Brake Guard Prods., Inc., 125 F.T.C. 138 (1998)
- Removatron Int’l Corp., 111 F.T.C. 206 (1988), aff’d, 884 F.2d 1489 (1st Cir. 1989)
- Thompson Med. Co., 104 F.T.C. 648 (1984), 791 F.2d 189 (D.C. Cir. 1986)
- Cliffdale Assocs., 103 F.T.C. 110 (1984)
- Bristol-Myers Co., 102 F.T.C. 21 (1983), aff’d, 738 F.2d 554 (2d Cir. 1984)
- Am. Home Prods., 98 F.T.C. 136 (1981), aff’d, 695 F.2d 681 (3d Cir. 1982)
- Litton Indus., Inc., 97 F.T.C. 1 (1981)
- Porter & Dietsch, Inc., 90 F.T.C. 770 (1977), modified, 605 F.2d 294 (7th Cir. 1979), amendments to order, 95 F.T.C. 806 (1980)
- Std. Oil of Cal., 84 F.T.C. 1401 (1974)
About Notices of Penalty Offenses
A Notice of Penalty Offenses is a document listing certain types of conduct that the FTC has determined, in one or more litigated administrative cases, to be unfair or deceptive in violation of the FTC Act.
- Learn more about Notices of Penalty Offenses