The Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 Office has ordered a halt to the sale of certain disinfectant products in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
The order affects three grocery distributors, saying that Estancia La Bodega Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri, Pan-Y-Mas of Kansas City, Kansas, and Promex Ltd. of Omaha, Nebraska, distributed cleaning products that were illegally imported into the U.S., noncompliant with federal law, and may represent a danger to consumers.
The products are sold under the name Fabuloso, with labels primarily written in Spanish.
According to EPA, the illegal Fabuloso products contain an active ingredient, glutaraldehyde, that is not approved in the U.S. as a household disinfectant because of potential health risks, including throat and lung irritation, asthma and difficulty breathing, dermatitis, nasal irritation, sneezing, wheezing, burning eyes, and conjunctivitis. Pesticides containing glutaraldehyde are primarily used as disinfectants in medical settings and require special handling to protect employees.
EPA and state inspections revealed that the illegal Fabuloso products were being offered for sale at multiple regional grocers that serve Hispanic communities, and that the products were being illegally distributed by multiple suppliers throughout the country.
