In April 2021 the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the EPA must ban all uses of chlorpyrifos relating to food stuffs, allowing them to retain tolerances for only those uses that could be proven safe for children. In August of 2021 the EPA announced that due to the determination that “the current aggregate exposures from use of chlorpyrifos do not meet the legally required safety standard and that there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result from such exposures”, it is banning its use and revoking all tolerances relating to food. EPA has announced that it will issue a Notice of Intent to Cancel under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to cancel registered food uses of the pesticide with the revoked tolerances.
“Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide used for a large variety of agricultural uses, including soybeans, fruit and nut trees, broccoli, cauliflower, and other row crops, as well as non-food uses. It has been found to inhibit an enzyme, which leads to neurotoxicity, and has also been associated with potential neurological effects in children.” (EPA)
The registration review for chlorpyrifos is ongoing, and EPA is currently reviewing all comments submitted on the proposed interim decision, draft revised human health risk assessment, and draft ecological risk assessment, and may consider additional measures to reduce health and ecological risks after the review process is concluded.
Our in-lab experts are equipped and ready to test for the presence of Chlorpyrifos in your products, as well as to help you navigate this, and any future regulatory changes through our Regulatory Consulting services. Do you have any questions or would you like to receive further information on testing or regulatory issues? Then please reach out to our experts!
Contact:
Meg Darnell
Meghan.Darnell@tentamus.com
+1 540-684-9211