Michael S. Regan 16th Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Official Website
On August 8, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 ordered three grocery distributors to halt the sale and distribution of certain Fabuloso household disinfectant products.
The EPA identified Estancia La Bodega Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri, Pan-Y-Mas of Kansas City, Kansas, and Promex Ltd. of Omaha, Nebraska as distributors of cleaning products that were illegally imported into the U.S., noncompliant with federal law, and potentially dangerous 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 the EPA, these illegal Fabuloso products contain glutaraldehyde as an active ingredient. Glutaraldehyde is not approved in the U.S. as a household disinfectant due to potential health risks such as 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.
EPA inspections revealed that these illegal Fabuloso products were being sold at multiple regional grocers serving Hispanic communities and were distributed by various suppliers nationwide.
The unauthorized Fabuloso products have labels primarily written in Spanish. The U.S.-approved version of antibacterial Fabuloso has labels in English and contains an approved active ingredient authorized for sale in the country. Both versions are manufactured by a subsidiary of Colgate-Palmolive Company in Mexico.
In addition to illegal Fabuloso products, Estancia La Bodega was found selling unregistered Clorox 48 Horas cleaner while Pan-Y-Mas was selling unregistered Clorox Ropa stain remover.
The "stop sale" orders issued require distributors to cease all sales or removal of these products without written EPA approval.
Consumers who have recently purchased a Fabuloso product containing glutaraldehyde or making pesticidal claims should check for an EPA registration number on the label. If absent or indicating it is not approved for sale in the U.S., they should contact their waste provider for disposal options.
Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), pesticide producers and distributors must register their products with EPA and include required labeling information. It is illegal to sell any pesticide that is not registered or lacks necessary label contents.
For questions about pesticides, consumers can call EPA’s hotline at 1-800-858-7378 or its Spanish-speaking version at 1-888-919-4372.
___
