Valent Revises Orthene® Labeling After FQPA Review

Valent U.S.A. Corp. has reached an understanding with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that ensures Orthene® products (acephate insecticide) will continue to be available to homeowners, farmers and professional users well into the 21st century.

After an intensive review of Orthene, the EPA concluded that all agricultural Orthene products are acceptable for continued use. In addition, all Orthene products sold by Valent’s Professional Products Group (PPG) will remain available. However, Valent has agreed to modify Orthene product labeling to withdraw the following in the professional products market: 1) pest control operator (PCO) use inside residential buildings, including homes and apartments, and 2) certain residential turf uses. Valent retains the uses of Orthene for golf course, sod farms and by spot or mound treatment for fire ant and harvester ant control.

It is important to note that Orthene can still be used for all agricultural, nursery, landscape, ornamental and greenhouse uses, as well as for PCO use inside commercial, institutional and industrial buildings (such as restaurants, warehouses, stores, hospitals, hotels, manufacturing plants and ships), and for use on golf courses, sod farms and by spot or mound treatments for fire ant and harvester ant control. All inventories of Orthene products remain legal to purchase and use according to label directions.

Valent reached its decision to withdraw the indoor residential use and certain turf uses (with the aforementioned exceptions) after a careful analysis of its impact to the customer, Valent’s business in these markets and the expected cost to defend these uses in the current regulatory environment.

This thorough review of Orthene took place as a result of the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), enacted by Congress in 1996, which strengthened the EPA’s ability to review and regulate existing pesticide products, particularly those used for food production. The active ingredient in Orthene is in the organophosphate class of chemicals, which were among the first to undergo the intensive safety review of all registered pesticides required by the FQPA.

While Valent has not been able to retain all uses of Orthene, the company feels that the product came through the review process well overall.