Bayer AG will stop producing aldicarb, sold under the name Temik, but farmers will be authorized to use the active for another eight years on some crops.
The US Environmental Protection Agency said aldicarb “no longer meets the agency’s rigorous food safety standards and may pose unacceptable dietary risks, especially to infants and young children.” Subsequently, Bayer agreed to stop producing Temik for use on citrus and potatoes, but growers can use Temik on those crops until end of 2011.
Production of Temik will stop by Dec. 31, 2014, and all remaining use in the U.S. will end by August 2018.
While the pesticide remains in use, its label will be changed to reduce its use on cotton, soybeans, and peanuts.
Bayer said the agreement does not mean Temik poses a food-safety concern, adding that it is cooperating with the EPA even though it does not fully agree with the agency’s assessment. Aldicarb has been used for almost 40 years.