Celebrity chef Pete Evans is facing another round of fines this year over an array of advertising breaches surrounding his company.
He may have hosted My Kitchen Rules, but he certainly doesn’t make all the health rules. Leave that to the TGA.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has slammed Evans with six infringement notices, bringing the total fines to a whopping $79,920.
On top of that, the former Seven Network star has been directed to take down what they call ‘non-compliant advertising’ in relation to various products.
Mainly, Evans’ freshly spruiked hyperbaric oxygen therapy chambers, two oral medicines and a particularly controversial device known as the BioCharger.
It’s not the first time this product – or his brand – has come under fire from authorities.
In April last year, Evans received a hefty $25k fine from the TGA after claiming that his BioCharger, which he describes as a “subtle energy revitalisation platform”, could be used in relation to coronavirus.
Pete Evans Has Been Fined $80000 Over Alleged Dodgy Advertising & Oh No, What A Shame https://t.co/Oa1sg3hk9A #ParanormalNews #Paranormal
— Paranormal News Network (@ParanormalNews4) May 26, 2021
It’s not hard to see why this was such a risky move. TGA stated at the time that: “any claim that references COVID-19 is a restricted representation under therapeutic goods legislation, and is of significant concern to the TGA given the heightened public concern about the pandemic“.
But it clearly hasn’t stopped Evans.
According to a statement from the TGA, the repeated nature of the alleged advertising breaches this time around has led them to issue a: “directions notice to Mr Evans and his company to cease advertising therapeutic goods not entered in the ARTG (Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods) and to discontinue making various claims about therapeutic products“.
According to the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, therapeutic goods, including medical devices and medicines, need to be entered into an official register before being lawfully advertised in Australia.
Needless to say, this discount-tesla-coil that is the BioCharger doesn’t make the cut.
Starting a Pete Evans style ‘healing’ cult but it’s all centred around getting ripped up and sniffing the top of my cats head
— Newcastle’s Finest (@yeahnahnodramas) May 26, 2021
TGA also issued fines for the alleged advertising of Evans’ static magnet products and hyperbaric oxygen therapy chambers, as they: “contained statements that implied the products were endorsed by a health professional”.
Unless Evans is genuinely a health professional – which he definitely isn’t – then this is a big no-no.
