Adult and baby skincare company GAIA Skin Naturals has been fined for allegedly labelling products containing synthetic chemical preservatives as organic.
Dreamz Pty Ltd, which trades as GAIA, has paid $37,800 in penalties after the consumer watchdog issued infringement notices alleging GAIA's claims may have misled consumers into thinking three of its products were free from synthetic chemicals when they were not.
While certification is not legally required for a product supplied in Australia to be described as organic, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said businesses must be able to substantiate claims that a product is organic.
The three products that prompted the ACCC's infringement notices were GAIA's Natural Baby Bath & Body Wash, Baby Shampoo and Baby Moisturiser.
In assessing the use of the term 'organic' across a range of business and products, the ACCC has also identified concerns with a small number of Naturis Organic Breads' products, which contain a mix of organic and non-organic ingredients.
In response to the ACCC's concerns, Naturis has amended its website and the relevant product labels.
