| U.S. Federal Trade Commission |
FTC News Release, Sep 2, 2003
Consumers Continue to Get a Raw Deal from Raw Health
The FTC Alleges that the Defendant Continues to Violate Previous Order
The Federal Trade Commission has charged
Kris Pletschke, doing business as Raw Health, with violating a
2002 FTC order against him by making unsubstantiated claims
for two dietary supplements on his Web site, and by failing to
provide a complete compliance report as required by that
order. Pletschke’s ongoing advertising has included
unsubstantiated claims regarding the efficacy of “E3 Essential
Algae” and “Parasine2,” including statements that E3 Essential
Algae treats or alleviates symptoms associated with a variety
of diseases such as diabetes, AIDS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,
and hepatitis, and that Parasine2 treats or alleviates
conditions such as chronic fatigue. At the FTC’s request, the
Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a complaint against
Pletschke seeking redress for consumers, a civil penalty, and
an injunction against further order violations.
Raw Health is a small company specializing
in the sale of raw food, digestive enzymes, colonic
treatments, and other products that purport to provide various
health benefits. The FTC complaint alleges that, despite the
previous order against him, Pletschke has made deceptive
efficacy claims for dietary supplements, this time for the
products E3 Essential Algae and Parasine2. E3 Essential Algae,
also known as Aphanizomenon flos-aquae or AFA, is a blue-green
algae product that Pletschke claims treats or alleviates
symptoms associated with diseases such as AIDS, diabetes,
hepatitis, autism, anemia, and Alzheimer’s. Parasine2 is a
supplement cocktail that contains a number of ingredients that
Pletschke claims will eliminate “organisms associated with
hunger cravings, emotional instability, chronic fatigue, and
many other symptoms.” The FTC alleges that the defendant has
no scientific evidence to support these claims.
In February 2002, the FTC charged Pletschke
with making false and unsubstantiated therapeutic claims for
his colloidal silver product. According to the FTC,
Pletschke’s Web site, www.rawhealth.net, contained claims that
his colloidal silver product could treat or cure 650 different
diseases, eliminate all pathogens in the human body in six
minutes or less, and was medically proven to kill every
destructive bacterial, viral, and fungal organism in the body,
including Anthrax, Ebola, Hunta, and flesh-eating bacteria.
Under the terms of the 2002 consent order issued to resolve
the FTC’s allegations, Pletschke is required to have competent
and reliable scientific evidence to substantiate any future
claims regarding the health benefits, performance, safety, or
efficacy of any food, dietary supplement, drug, device, or
health-related service or program.
The FTC’s complaint alleges that by making
the unsubstantiated claims for E3 Essential Algae and
Parasine2, Pletschke has violated the 2002 order. In addition,
the previous order requires Pletschke to provide a report to
the FTC indicating the actions he is taking to comply with the
order. According to the FTC, he has failed to provide the
agency with an adequate report.
The text in this article was prepared by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.