EPA Settles With Wholesaler Over Sale of Unregistered Disinfectants

On Oct. 7, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached a settlement with U.S. Jaclean Inc., Gardena, California, regarding claims of illegal distribution or sale of unregistered and misbranded disinfectants and other pesticide products in violation of federal pesticide law.

 The sale and distribution of such products violated the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Under the settlement, the company will pay a penalty of over US$250,000.

“A core mission of EPA is safeguarding public health, and we are committed to taking action against businesses marketing supposed health products that are not effective, fail to comply with safety regulations, or make misleading assertions,” said Martha Guzman, EPA Pacific Southwest regional administrator. “Companies that distribute these types of unlawful disinfectants will incur substantial penalties.”

U.S. Jaclean is a wholesaler of consumer health and wellness products, including household goods. Following EPA inspections of the company’s distribution centers in Hawaii and California, EPA found that U.S. Jaclean unlawfully distributed or sold products that made claims such as “effective against bacteria,” “sanitizer,” and “antibacterial,” as well as “nontoxic and safe.” Products that claim to kill or mitigate bacteria or sanitize must be registered with EPA before they can be sold in the U.S. In addition, these products cannot claim to be “nontoxic and safe,” which is false or misleading language under FIFRA.  

Unregistered products can be harmful to human health, cause adverse effects, and may not be effective against the spread of germs. FIFRA registration and labeling requirements protect human health and the environment by ensuring these sorts of products are tested in accordance with specific guidelines and can be safely used for their intended purposes.

Find the most up-to-date list of EPA-registered disinfectant products and more information on pesticide registration.