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Florida-Based Airborne Settles For $7 Million

Tampa Tribune

The company admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

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The Associated Press

Published: December 16, 2008

The maker of Airborne dietary supplements has agreed to pay $7 million to settle allegations by 32 states, including Florida, that it made false claims about the benefits of its fruit-flavored products.

Under the settlement, Airborne Health agrees to discontinue any claims about the "health benefit, performance, efficacy or safety" of its supplements in preventing and treating colds and other ailments.

Earlier this year, the company agreed to pay out $30 million to settle nearly identical allegations stemming from a class action lawsuit brought by consumers and the Federal Trade Commission.

The Florida-based company markets a line of water-dissolving tablets that are sold in pharmacies and grocery stores nationwide.

The company's Web site claims Airborne supplements "support your immune system through its blend of vitamins and minerals."

In a statement issued Tuesday, Airborne said the agreement "will have no impact on our products or on the ability of consumers to buy them, because it deals with language that had already been dropped from our advertising and labeling."

The company admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

Maine Attorney General Steve Rowe said Maine's complaint alleged that the company made health-related claims that weren't substantiated by scientific evidence.

"This company has reaped high profits from deceptive claims and exploitation of consumers suffering from various common ailments," Rowe said. "This settlement brings to an end these deceptive advertising practices."

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