The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it has fined Aten Technology, the parent company of Iogear, $208,000 for “selling unregistered pesticides” and making unproven claims about them.
Iogear has sold products that it billed as being embedded with “nano shield coating” and “nano coating technology” that it said protected users against germs. The EPA says that these claims are unsubstantiated.
After being contacted by the EPA, Iogear stopped labeling those products as such.
The EPA explained that any product that kills or repels bacteria or germs is considered a pesticide, and as such, must be registered with the EPA prior to distribution or sale. And the EPA won’t register a pesticide unless it’s been tested to show that it won’t pose an unreasonable risk when used according to directions. The agency advises consumers to look for an EPA registration number on any product label that claims to kill or repel bacteria or germs.