London, Mar 11 : Prince Charles has been accused of ''financially exploiting the gullible'' with his herbal detox tincture of globe artichoke and dandelion produced by his company Duchy Originals.

Prof Ezard Ernst, from Peninsula Medical School, who has dismissed the herbal mixture as ''quackery'', claims that the Prince of Wales is exploiting people at a time hardship, and dubbed the company as ''Dodgy Originals''.

The scientific community has been criticising the method of detoxing as it lacked credible evidence, but Prince Charles on the other hand is a strong supporter of the complementary therapies and alternative medicine and has even called for wider access to the treatments on the NHS.

His brand, Duchy Originals, has produced a range of herbal preparations including the Detox Artichoke and Dandelion Tincture, which is sold for 10 pounds for 50ml in Boots and Waitrose.

"Prince Charles contributes to the ill health of the nation by pretending we can all overindulge, then take his tincture and be fine again," the Telegraph quoted Prof Ernst, the first professor of complementary medicine in the UK, as saying.

"Under the banner of holistic and integrative health care he thus promotes a ''quick fix'' and outright quackery," he stated.

He said detox is based on the idea that toxins accumulate in the body until it becomes overloaded and that certain products can speed up the elimination of these substances.

"The body has a powerful mechanism to deal with itself and there''s no evidence that dandelion or artichoke will improve these functions," he said.

"If a patient has a diseased kidney and cannot eliminate toxins via their kidney, then they need serious medical help.

"Products like this are a dangerous waste of money.

"Charles is exploiting people during hard times," he added.

A spokesman for Duchy Originals has defended its product saying that it is safe.

"Duchy Herbals Detox Tincture is an excellent and safe product, traded as a food supplement and compliant with all of the relevant sections of both UK and European food laws," he said.

"It is a natural aid to digestion and supports the body''s natural elimination processes. It is not - and has never been described as - a medicine, remedy or cure for any disease.

"There is no ''quackery'', no ''make believe'' and no ''superstition'' in any of the Duchy Originals herbal tinctures. We find it unfortunate that Professor Ernst should chase sensationalist headlines in this way rather than concentrating on accuracy and objectivity," he added. (ANI)