Thursday, July 5, 2007
Safeway fined over false pesticidal claims in Hawaii
Advertiser Staff
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently fined Safeway, Inc.
$675,000 for allegedly selling unregistered household cleaning products
at its Hawai'i and California stores, according to an EPA press release
issued today.
The products — Safeway Heavy Duty Toilet Bowl Cleaner and Safeway
Liquid Cleanser with Bleach — contained labels claiming they disinfect
and remove mold and mildew which, under federal law, must be registered
as pesticides.
The products make pesticidal claims, but neither was registered.
"Proper registration of pesticides ensures that labels include use
directions and safety precautions designed to limit risks to human
health and the environment," Katherine Taylor, associate director of
the EPA's Communities and Ecosystems Division of EPA Southwest Regional
Office, said in the press release.
In 2005, a Hawai'i Department of Agriculture inspector discovered a
Safeway Heavy Duty Toilet Bowl Cleaner at a Safeway, Inc. store on
Kaua'i and Hawai'i that claimed it disinfects. The EPA alleges that
Safeway, Inc. sold this product in its stores throughout Northern
California and Hawai'i.
In 2006, a California Department of Pesticide Regulations inspector
found the sale of a second product, Safeway Liquid Cleanser with
Bleach, at a Vons store in Grover Beach, Calif., claiming it "removes
mold and mildew."
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act regulates the
sale, distribution and use of pesticides within the U.S. Companies must
register and ensure the proper labeling of the pesticide with the EPA.
Companies should provide additional data before legally claiming that a
product protects public health. The EPA registration number, along with
directions for use and safety precautions must be on the label.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Jul/05/br/br1520694873.html