EPA orders Kansas City, Kansas distributor to stop selling illegal disinfectants

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered grocery distributors in Missouri and Kansas to stop the sale and distribution of certain Fabuloso products.

EPA said that Estancia La Bodega Inc. in St. Louis, Pan-Y-Mas in Kansas City, Kansas, and Promex Ltd. in Omaha, Nebraska distributed cleaning products that were illegally imported into the U.S. and may be a danger to consumers.

“EPA requires the registration of all pesticide products brought into the U.S. in order to protect the public from exposure to potentially harmful chemicals,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister.

“The Agency is committed to protecting consumers, particularly those living in areas already overburdened by pollution.”

The illegal Fabuloso products contain glutaraldehyde, an active ingredient that is not authorized in the U.S. because of potential health risks. These include throat and lung irritation, asthma and difficulty breathing, dermatitis, nasal irritation, sneezing, wheezing, burning eyes and conjunctivitis, according to the EPA.

The unauthorized Fabuloso products had labels primarily written in Spanish.

In addition to the illegal Fabuloso products, the EPA found that Pan-Y-Mas in Kansas City, Kansas, was also selling unregistered Clorox Ropa stain remover, and Estancia La Bodega was selling unregistered Clorox 48 Horas cleaner.

To ensure that the product is registered with the EPA, check the label if you recently bought a Fabuloso disinfectant product or any of the Clorox products listed above.

If the label does not include an EPA registration number and/or indicates it is not approved for sale in the U.S., contact your waste provider for ways to get rid of the product.

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