Christopher Enterprises, Inc., a direct marketer of herbal Health products, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it made unfounded claims.
The defendants, which also include the firm’s principals, Norman Bacalla and Ruth Christopher Bacella, agreed to stop marketing comfrey-based products for internal use or on open wounds.
They also agreed to pay $100,000 for consumer redress, and to put a warning on comfrey products marketed for external use.
According to the FTC, the firm claimed that comfrey, an herbal ingredient, was effective in treating ailments like asthma, cancer, herpes simplex, multiple sclerosis and tuberculosis.
The FTC charged that the firm and its owners lacked scientific evidence to prove the efficacy of comfrey products.
In addition, the FTC continued, comfrey contains toxic alkaloids and can cause serious liver damage or death when taken internally.
The firm marketed its products by mail, telephone, and the Internet, according to the FTC. It also sold through retail stores, and through health-care practitioners.
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