The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a settlement with Chedraui USA, Inc., which operates El Super and Smart & Final Stores LLC, over the distribution of illegal disinfectants in Arizona, California, and Nevada. The company will pay a $472,369 penalty for violating federal pesticide laws.
EPA's action led to the removal of these unregistered disinfectants from store shelves. Amy Miller, Director of the EPA Pacific Southwest Region Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division, said that "unregistered disinfectants can not only be ineffective but can contain dangerous ingredients." She emphasized that companies must ensure their products are registered with the EPA to protect customers from potentially harmful products.
Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the EPA oversees the sale and distribution of disinfectants to prevent ineffective or harmful products from reaching consumers. The regulations mandate that all disinfectants be registered with the agency.
Chedraui USA is a Mexican company owning El Super and Smart & Final grocery chains. Inspections by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and EPA in 2021 revealed that stores in Santa Ana and Hayward were selling unregistered disinfectants with labels making unverified claims about their effectiveness against microorganisms.
The investigation found widespread distribution of these products across numerous locations in Arizona, California, and Nevada. At El Super in Santa Ana, two pesticides named "S&C Sanitizer" and "S&C Disinfectant" contained quaternary ammonia—a highly toxic substance requiring a "danger" label—and made unverified effectiveness claims. These products were distributed at least 61 times.
At Smart & Final in Hayward, a product called "Perfect Professional Advanced Multi-Surface Sanitizer" also made unverified germ-killing claims and was distributed at least 53 times. Both Chedraui USA and Smart & Final have confirmed they no longer distribute or sell these products.
The EPA's Pesticide Registration program aims to safeguard people and the environment from potentially dangerous or ineffective pesticides by evaluating ingredients and assessing potential health risks. Companies must submit data from studies following EPA guidelines for approval.
For more information on FIFRA enforcement: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/federal-insecticide-fungicide-and-rodenticide-act-fifra-enforcement
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