U.S. EPA to discuss the regulation of plant-incorporated protectants

EPA’s Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division will hold a public symposium on the data that support the registration of plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs) on September 29.

A plant-incorporated protectant is a type of biopesticide that is produced and used in a living plant, or in its produce. These products are, therefore, distinct from topically applied conventional pesticides. PIPs can, under certain circumstances, be regulated by USDA, FDA and EPA, with each agency having specific responsibilities.

The symposium will provide a forum for PIP developers, the agricultural sector and the general public to receive information firsthand on the scope of the scientific review process that determines the safety of PIPs and on the pesticide registration process as a whole. The majority of PIPs registered in the past 20-plus years use insecticidal traits of bacterial proteins to enhance the plant’s resistance to insect herbivores. EPA, FDA and USDA representatives will give an overview of the regulatory system that applies to biotechnology in the United States in the context of the Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology.