LENEXA, KAN. – On Aug. 8, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 ordered three grocery distributors to stop the sale and distribution of certain Fabuloso household disinfectant products.
EPA says that Estancia La Bodega Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri, Pan-Y-Mas of Kansas City, Kansas, and Promex Ltd. of Omaha, Nebraska, distributed cleaning products that were illegally imported into the U.S., noncompliant with federal law, and may represent a danger to consumers.
“EPA requires the registration of all pesticide products brought into the U.S. in order to protect the public from exposure to potentially harmful chemicals,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. “The Agency is committed to protecting consumers, particularly those living in areas already overburdened by pollution.”
According to EPA, the illegal Fabuloso products contain an active ingredient, glutaraldehyde, that is not approved in the U.S. as a household disinfectant because of potential health risks, including throat and lung irritation, asthma and difficulty breathing, dermatitis, nasal irritation, sneezing, wheezing, burning eyes, and conjunctivitis. Pesticides containing glutaraldehyde are primarily used as disinfectants in medical settings and require special handling to protect employees.
EPA and state inspections revealed that the illegal Fabuloso products were being offered for sale at multiple regional grocers that serve Hispanic communities, and that the products were being illegally distributed by multiple suppliers throughout the country.
The unauthorized Fabuloso products have labels primarily written in Spanish. A U.S. version of antibacterial Fabuloso, with labels in English, contains an approved active ingredient that is authorized for sale in the U.S. Both the U.S. and Spanish language versions are manufactured by a subsidiary of the Colgate-Palmolive Company in Mexico.
In addition to the illegal Fabuloso products, EPA found that Estancia La Bodega was also selling unregistered Clorox 48 Horas cleaner and that Pan-Y-Mas was also selling unregistered Clorox Ropa stain remover.
The “stop sale” orders issued to the distributors require them to cease all sales, use, or removal of the products without written EPA approval.
If you have recently purchased a Fabuloso, Clorox 48 Horas, or Clorox Ropa product that contains glutaraldehyde and/or makes pesticidal claims on any labeling – such as asserting that the product is antibacterial, antiviral, and/or disinfects – check the product label to ensure that it is registered with EPA. (All EPA-approved disinfectants have unique registration numbers.) If the label does not include an EPA registration number and/or indicates it is not approved for sale in the U.S., contact your waste provider for disposal options.
Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), producers and distributors of pesticide products must register the products with EPA and must include required labeling on the products. It is illegal to sell any pesticide that is not registered and/or does not contain required label contents. Any products claiming to kill viruses and other pathogens are considered “pesticides” under federal law.
EPA offers a hotline where questions can be answered about pesticides at 1-800-858-7378. A Spanish-speaking version is available at 1-888-919-4372.