EPA orders e-commerce platform Wish to stop selling illegal disinfectants

On July 5, 2022, EPA ordered the e-commerce platform Wish (ContextLogic Inc.) to stop selling a variety of unregistered disinfectants on its website, including disinfectant sprays, tablets, and air sterilization cards. EPA’s “Stop Sale” order prevents the company from selling unregistered disinfectants, which is a violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

Under FIFRA, all disinfectants must be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency which requires testing and determination that the product will not pose an unreasonable risk to human health when used according to the label directions. Violations of this nature have increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. Allowing products like this to stay on the market is particularly concerning as unregistered products make be harmful to human health and may not be effective against the spread of germs. The EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman commented on the Stop Sale order and the overall issue stating, “As our nation continues to grapple with Covid-19, today’s stop sale order is critical to protecting Americans from misleading and harmful claims from a large e-commerce platform. EPA remains vigilant and will keep removing these illegal disinfectants from circulation.”