FDA bans 3 Chinese insect sprays

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised the public to avoid buying three unregistered household insecticides from China as they contain a chemical highly toxic to both human and animals.

In an advisory, the FDA said that Big Pie Pai Aerosol Insecticide, Tianshi Insect Killer and Baolilai Aerosol Insecticide were found to contain cypermethrin, “a broad spectrum” pesticide with neurotoxic effects on rodents, aquatic organisms, mammals and even humans.

FDA officer in charge Nicolas Lutero III said the unregistered household insecticides, which were found being sold in the market, specifically in Divisoria, contained a type of pesticide that killed “target and nontarget” insects as well as susceptible animals like aquatic organisms.

Lutero noted that the effects of cypermethrin—a photostable synthetic Type II pyrethroid pesticide—on test animals include reduced fertility and reproduction rates, carcinogenic and cocarcinogenic effects through topical route and DNA damage in vital organs like the brain, liver and kidneys.

“The safety of [these] products cannot be ensured since [they] were not evaluated for compliance [with] FDA regulations to ensure [their] efficacy and safety,” said the FDA official.

He noted that on Aug. 12 last year, the National Poison Management and Control Center reported to the FDA the case of a three-year-old boy who experienced vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain after he accidentally sprayed himself with Big Pie Pai Aerosol Insecticide purchased from Divisoria.

The FDA also received separate reports of two in-patients and two phone referral cases involving the same insect spray, added Lutero.

“In view of these, distributors, retailers and other stakeholders are ordered to discontinue further distribution, sale and use,” he said.

Lutero also ordered all field regulatory officers to monitor, conduct an inventory and seize all household and urban pesticide products without an FDA certificate of product registration.

The FDA official also requested all local government units to be vigilant against these products that do not have market authorization and ensure that they would not be sold or offered for sale by ambulant and sidewalk vendors.