Celebrity chef Pete Evans has been fined almost $80,000 and ordered to stop making various claims about his wellness products.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration issued the infringement notices totalling $79,920 to Peter Evans Chef Pty Ltd, while Mr Evans was also ordered to remove non-compliant advertising.
The multiple fines were issued in relation to products including the ‘BioCharger’ device, hyperbaric oxygen therapy chambers and two oral medicines.
Celebrity chef Pete Evans has been fined by the TGA.Credit:James Brickwood
The products were not, at the time of advertising, included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG). Under Australian laws, all therapeutic goods, like medical devices and medicines, must be entered in the ARTG before they can be advertised.
The watchdog also issued fines for the advertising of static magnet products and hyperbaric oxygen therapy chambers because they contained statements that wrongly implied the products were endorsed by a health professional.
It comes after the company was in April last year issued two infringement notices for its ‘BioCharger’ device. At that time the TGA issued a warning to the company about other products.
The health watchdog had received a number of complaints about the promotion of the device during a Facebook live stream on Mr Evans’ page, with claims made that it could be used in relation to “Wuhan Coronavirus”.
“Due to the repeated nature of the alleged advertising breaches, the TGA has also issued a directions notice to Mr Evans and his company, to cease advertising therapeutic goods not entered in the ARTG and to discontinue making various claims about therapeutic products,” the TGA said in a statement on Tuesday.
The controversial celebrity chef has previously been booted off both Facebook and Instagram for sharing false claims about vaccinations and COVID-19.
Mr Evans has been contacted for comment.
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