FTC pushes new fur labels

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is pushing new labeling requirements for everything from Cruella de Vil’s Dalmatian coat to Flo Rida’s “boots with the fur.”

The labeling requirements would establish new rules for manufacturers and retailers that sell coats, boots and other items made with fur.

{mosads}The FTC has long regulated fur products. The Fur Products Labeling Act, established by Congress in 1952, prohibits misbranding and false advertising of fur products.

The new rules will update the FTC’s existing fur regulations, which require manufacturers and retailers to disclose the animal’s name, whether the fur was bleached, dyed or artificially colored, whether it is composed of paws or tails, the fur’s country of origin, and the name of the manufacturer, among other things.

The labeling requirements cover furs made from a number of animals such as badgers, bears, polar bears, beavers, cats, cheetahs, dogs, foxes, goats, kangaroos, leopards, minks, monkeys, pandas, rabbits, raccoons, squirrels, and wolves.

The new labeling requirements go into effect on Nov. 19.