Anti-mold products distributed in the US must be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and in Europe with the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR). Micro-Pak’s anti-mold products are compliant with both the EPA and BPR and we are always ready to provide the necessary documentation.
Unfortunately, it is quite common for anti-mold suppliers to misrepresent these rules or give excuses why the rules do not apply to them. This is especially true of anti-mold products labelled as “all-natural” that claim to be made from wasabi, mustard seed, natural essential oils, or other similar ingredients that sound safe and natural. The reality however is very different. Most of these “all-natural” anti-mold products are not natural, not regulatory compliant, and thereby not proven to be safe.
The major risk for brands when using an unregistered product is that in case of any legal claims, it is the brand and not the anti-mold supplier that will be liable.
You can verify if your anti-mold product is safe and compliant as follows:
1) How to tell if a product is registered under the EPA in the US
All products registered with the EPA will be assigned an EPA registration number. Ask the supplier to provide their EPA registration number(s) and then search their registration on the EPA website
Micro-Pak’s anti-mold stickers, PE sheets, and polybags are all EPA-registered. The registration process involves rigorous safety testing at Federal level including for eye and skin irritation, inhalation and oral toxicity, as well as for efficacy (to confirm that the product functions as we say it does).
2) How to tell if an active ingredient is compliant with BPR
The ingredient will appear on the Article 95 List next to their company name. If your supplier’s company name is different from the registered company, ask them to explain why and to provide proof of a connection between their company and the registered company:
3) What is a Minimum Risk Pesticide?
Many suppliers will claim that their product is considered a “minimum risk pesticide” and is thus exempt from EPA registration. The EPA has a very clear list of ingredients that are considered “minimum risk pesticides” and any ingredient outside that list requires EPA registration. Commonly used ingredients in “all-natural” anti-mold products such as mustard seed and wasabi are not on the exempt list and therefore require EPA registration.
Additional Points
EPA and BPR registrations require that suppliers register their own products for their particular application.
It is not permitted to simply find an ingredient that is registered for one use and then use it towards another application. A good example is the ingredient Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) which is commonly used in anti-mold products. Suppliers will claim that AITC is a natural compound derived from plants that is used as a food additive, so the assumption is that it is safe and natural. What they will not tell you is that AITC is also used in tear gas, commercial fumigants, animal hunting repellents, and other highly toxic applications. There is no way to know if the AITC dosage in the anti-mold product is safe or highly toxic unless the product is registered.
It is not correct for suppliers to claim that their ingredients are on an exempt ingredient list when they are in fact not.
Lastly, it is not sufficient for suppliers to show restricted substance test reports in lieu of registration proof.
Only when a brand uses anti-mold products that are fully registered in the manner specified in the registration, can they be assured that all safety precautions have been taken which provides significant liability protection in the event of any legal action due to customer complaints.
Contact Us for more information.