The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent  a letter to 78 businesses warning that clothing and other textile products  labeled and advertised as “bamboo” were actually made of manufactured rayon fiber products.

The FTC staff letter outlines the requirements for proper labeling and advertising of textile products derived from bamboo and told the companies they should review the labeling and advertising for the textile products they are selling and remove or correct any misleading bamboo references.The letter was sent to some of the nation's largest clothing companies and retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp. and Gap Inc. The companies could face penalties of up to $16,000 per violation.

Last year, the FTC filed complaints claiming companies had mislabeled rayon clothing and other textile products were “bamboo fiber,” marketing them using names such as “ecoKashmere,” “Pure Bamboo,” “Bamboo Comfort,” and “BambooBaby.” The complaints also challenged a number of other deceptive “green” claims, including that the products retained the bamboo plant’s antimicrobial properties, were made using environmentally friendly manufacturing processes, and are biodegradable.

Copies of the letters and a complete list of companies that received them can be found on the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov/bamboo.