FIFRA is short for the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, a U.S. federal law that guides pesticide regulation to ensure the safety of users, consumers and the environment. Typically, before any new pesticide can be sold in the United States, it must go through a lengthy registration and review process with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It must be shown that use of the product according to specifications “will not generally cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment.” After a pesticide is registered, it is strictly regulated and has restrictions on use, application rate and other aspects.
Because many natural pest control products contain ingredients that are generally recognized as safe (GRAS), the EPA developed a list of active and inert ingredients that pose minimum risk, exempting them from the registration requirement. FIFRA 25(b) pesticides are made with ingredients that are safe for people and the environment. As long as a product contains only ingredients that are listed on the approved list and is labeled appropriately, it can be classified as a minimum risk pesticide and federal registration is not required. Most states, however, have their own statutes and regulations regarding pesticides, and FIFRA 25(b) products are required to be reviewed and registered in each state in which they are sold.
Earth's Ally products that are minimum risk, FIFRA 25(b), pesticides:
- Earth's Ally Weed & Grass Killer
- Earth's Ally Insect Control
- Earth's Ally Disease Control
- Earth's Ally 3-in-1 Plant Spray
Insecticides and fungicides that are FIFRA 25(b) exempt will state this exemption clearly on product labels. These products offer gardeners more flexibility in terms of application and timing than the highly-regulated EPA products.