They are to discuss e-commerce with representatives of the Office of Fair Trading and industry at the Institute of Trading Standards Administration conference in Edinburgh on Saturday.

The debate comes just days after the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched Operation Cure.All, designed to prevent bogus claims appearing on the Internet and direct consumers to "good quality health information" instead.

Earlier this month, the Advertising Standards Authority ruled that suppliers of magnetic bracelets and necklaces could not prove claims that they relieve pain.

'Bogus claims are common'

David Sibbert, vice-chairman of the institute, said that bogus claims were fairly common on the Internet. The institute had performed a wide sweep of health sites and had forced the removal of offending pages.

The potency of shark cartilage capsules is unproven

"Action has been taken to remove the worst sites, but follow-up action has to take place because some haven't been removed yet."

Another sweep - looking beyond health - had found misleading information, false prices, unfair contract terms as well as unlawful health claims.

The only way to tackle fraudulent claims on the Internet was through an international effort, he said, and this would be one of the areas examined during the conference.

Possible ways forward might include hallmarks or accreditation for sites to show they were reputable.

"People could look for an emblem, or a trust mark, that shows that the information can be trusted and they can be sure that it is correct," he said.

But regulation was not the solution on its own and those involved would have to consider all the alternatives, he said.

Caution is the best policy

In the meantime, Mr Sibbert recommended caution when digesting health claims on the Internet.

"Only go for recognised products that have been approved by the medical profession," he said.

"As far as I am aware, there are no miracle cures - as these sites suggest - for cancer, for Aids or things of that nature.

"The issue must be that consumers take proper medical advice, and not get carried away by claims they might see on the Internet. It's as simple as that."

US takes action

As it launched its campaign on Thursday, the FTC named four companies it said "made deceptive and unsubstantiated health claims concerning 'miracle cures' for serious illnesses" on their Websites.

The companies the FTC named were:

• The Arthritis Pain Care Center which markets CMO, "purportedly a fatty acid derived from beef tallow"
• Body Systems Technology for shark cartilage capsules that were claimed to cure cancer
• Magnetic Therapeutic Technologies, for magnetic therapy devices that are said to be able to treat cancer, high blood pressure and a wide variety of other ailments
• Pain Stops Here! also for magnetic devices - the FTC said 10 of the company's claims were unsubstantiated

"Sites touting unproven remedies for serious diseases like cancer, heart disease, HIV/Aids and arthritis are exploding," she said.

She listed terms to watch out for in advertising - such as the promise of a "miraculous cure" - and warned that undocumented case histories were often used to substantiate claims.