Ban on citronella postponed

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This article was published 13/01/2015 (4098 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — Some citronella-based mosquito repellents will remain on Canadian store shelves after the federal government decided to postpone barring them from the marketplace pending further review.

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency, a division of Health Canada, was to have enacted a full ban on all citronella-based mosquito repellents at the end of 2014, citing a lack of evidence they are safe.

However, in December, the PMRA quietly announced any citronella products that meet the maximum concentration of methyl eugenol could stay on the market while it conducts a full review of its entire approach to regulating the use of plant-derived essential oils in personal insect repellents.

Methyl eugenol is a substance in many plant-based essential oils, which some tests have shown to cause tumours when ingested by mice.

“Based on the scientific information currently available, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency at Health Canada decided it would be in the best interest of both the public and the registrants to review its current regulatory approach and data requirements for plant-based essential oils intended for use as personal insect repellent,” said a Health Canada statement given to the Free Press.

It said the review will “examine how to meet the requirements of the Pest Control Products Act while exploring alternative ways to assess these products.”

The change of heart appears to have come after the agency was inundated with reaction from consumers, manufacturers and even People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Jessica Sandler, director of regulatory testing department at PETA in the U.S., wrote to Health Canada in October expressing concerns it was pushing for animal testing of citronella products and asking it to reconsider its position banning the products.

The initial response to that letter reiterated Health Canada’s plan to ban the products citing concerns about the methyl eugenol and fears repeated applications of the products, as is usually done with insect repellents, could cause reproductive or developmental damage in humans.

Sandler said PETA persisted, writing again to express a desire that Health Canada align its regulations with those in the U.S.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approves citronella as a non-toxic biochemical that can be used in lotions, sprays, cloth wipes and other products. The EPA says citronella oil has been used for more than 50 years without any reports of adverse side-effects or concerns.

The products, however, are barred in the European Union because of a lack of evidence they are safe.

On Dec. 11, Peter Chan, director general of the Health Evaluation Directorate at the PMRA, wrote back to Sandler, saying Health Canada had changed its mind and will now allow certain citronella products to remain on the market while a further examination of existing studies is conducted.

The review will include consulting with scientific experts, soliciting comments from the public, industry and other stakeholders, and developing a regulatory approach to the products.

The review is to be done sometime in 2016.

Sandler said she was pleased Health Canada had pulled back from pushing for further animal testing and is hopeful it will eventually conclude citronella oil is safe for use in insect repellents based on existing research and decisions made in the U.S.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca