Airborne Takes A Nosedive

The maker of Airborne dietary supplements has agreed to pay $7 million to settle allegations by 32 states that it made false claims about the benefits of its products. Like, they work.

Under the settlement, Airborne Health agrees to discontinue any claims about the "health benefit, performance, efficacy or safety" of its supplements in preventing and treating colds and other ailments. Earlier this year, the company agreed to pay out $30 million to settle nearly identical allegations stemming from a class action lawsuit brought by consumers and the Federal Trade Commission.

The company's Web site claims Airborne supplements "support your immune system through its blend of vitamins and minerals." In a statement issued yesterday, Airborne said the agreement "will have no impact on our products or on the ability of consumers to buy them, because it deals with language that had already been dropped from our advertising and labeling." Yeah, the part that's misleading about it as more than a placebo.

Naturally, the company admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement.