Fragrances in pesticides can now be used on food equipment without special review

US environmental regulators have exempted certain fragrance components from safety reviews when used in pesticides on food-contact surfaces. This means manufacturers can now add these specific scents to cleaning products for restaurants and food factories without needing to prove their safety first.

For decades, any new chemical in a product that might touch food had to go through a separate, often lengthy, approval process. This rule change streamlines that process for a specific list of fragrance ingredients. It makes it easier and faster for companies to formulate scented cleaning products for commercial kitchens and food processing plants.