The North Face: Pesticide Maker?

After viewing some marketing material describing 70 styles of The North Face footwear as “antimicrobial” the US Environmental Protection Agency has reportedly filed suit against The North Face’s parent company VF Corp. for making “unsubstantiated public health claims regarding unregistered products,” according to a story on Sports One Source.

The suit centers around shoes featuring The North Face’s “AgION antimicrobial silver agent” which reportedly “inhibits the growth of disease-causing bacteria.” By the EPA’s definition that constitutes a pesticide.

Products that kill or repel bacteria or germs are considered pesticides, and must be registered with the EPA prior to distribution or sale. The Agency will not register a pesticide until it has been tested to show that it will not pose an unreasonable risk when used according to the directions. Consumers should be careful to look for the EPA registration number printed on product labels, and to follow the directions for proper use.

VF Corp. reminds everyone that they were not accused of making something harmful, just for marketing it improperly.

“In a statement, Steve Rendle, president, VF Outdoor Americas, said, “VF Outdoor, Inc. is dedicated to manufacturing and distributing high quality The North Face products that are safe for our consumers. We also have a strong commitment to protecting our natural world today and for future generations. The EPA’s recent claims against The North Face products are based solely on descriptive statements online and on hang tags respecting sales of certain styles of footwear that occurred between January 2008 and March 2008. The EPA has not made any claims that The North Face products are unsafe or contain any unsafe substances. Although we dispute their assertions, when we were contacted by EPA regarding their concerns in March 2008, we immediately stopped making the claims they found objectionable, removed them from hang tags and our website, and revised the product packaging accordingly.”

All this because The North Face wanted to make some shoes that don’t get all stinky. Technology we wish would be incorporated into VF Corp.’s other shoe company Vans.

[Link: Sports One Source]