Proposed re-evaluation decision PRVD2025-09, DEET plus related active toluamides and its associated end-use products

• Pest Management Regulatory Agency
• 23 October 2025
• ISSN: 1925-0967 (PDF version)
• Catalogue number: H113-27/2025-9E-PDF (PDF version)

Summary

Table of contents

• Proposed re-evaluation decision for DEET plus related active toluamides and associated end-use products
• Proposed re-evaluation decision for DEET
• Risk mitigation measures
• International context
• Next steps
• Other information
• Additional scientific information

Proposed re-evaluation decision for DEET plus related active toluamides and associated end-use products

Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, all registered pesticides must be re-evaluated by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to ensure that they continue to meet current health and environmental standards and continue to have value. The re-evaluation considers data and information from pesticide manufacturers, published scientific reports and other regulatory agencies. Health Canada applies internationally accepted risk assessment methods as well as current risk management approaches and policies.

DEET plus related active toluamides (hereafter referred to as DEET) is a personal insect repellent applied either to clothing or directly to skin, to protect people from biting and nuisance insects.

Currently registered products containing DEET can be found in the Pesticide Product Information Database and in Appendix I of PRVD2025-09. Appendix II of PRVD2025-09 lists all uses for which DEET is presently registered. There are no Commercial Class products. All uses were supported by the registrant at the time of re-evaluation initiation and were therefore considered in the re-evaluation of DEET.

This document (Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2025-09, DEET plus related active toluamides and Its associated end-use products) presents the proposed re-evaluation decision for DEET, including the proposed amendments (risk mitigation measures) to protect human health and the environment, as well as the science evaluation on which the proposed decision is based. All products containing DEET that are registered in Canada are subject to this proposed re-evaluation decision. PRVD2025-09 is subject to a 90-day public consultation period,^{Footnote 1} during which the public (including the pesticide manufacturers and stakeholders) may submit written comments and additional information to PMRA Publications. The final re-evaluation decision will be published after taking into consideration the comments received during the consultation period that are directly related to this proposed re-evaluation decision.

Proposed re-evaluation decision for DEET

Health Canada, under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, has conducted evaluations considered necessary with respect to the health and environmental risks and value of DEET based on available scientific information in accordance with subsection 16(6) of the Pest Control Products Act. Based on these evaluations, Health Canada is proposing for public consultation, pursuant to section 28 of the Pest Control Products Act, the continued registration of DEET and associated end-use products registered for sale and use in Canada under section 21 of the Pest Control Products Act.

With respect to human health, potential risks were shown to be acceptable when DEET is used according to current conditions of registration. Label improvements are proposed to meet current labelling standards and clarify existing label statements.

The risks to the environment were shown to be acceptable when DEET is used according to current conditions of registration.

DEET has value as an insect repellent used on human skin and clothing to protect people from biting and nuisance insects. DEET works by making it hard for the insects to detect users. DEET is used in 201 personal insect repellents currently registered, and is a valuable tool to protect people from biting insects that may also be vectors for insect-borne diseases.

Risk mitigation measures

Registered pesticide product labels include specific directions for use. Directions include risk mitigation measures to protect human health, the environment and ensure the product has acceptable value which must be followed by law. The proposed label amendments as a result of the re-evaluation of DEET, are summarized below. Refer to Appendix VI of the full version of PRVD2025-09 for details.

Human health

Label improvements to meet current standards:

• Updated precaution and direction of use statements for both the technical grade and domestic-class end-use products.

International context

DEET is currently acceptable for use in other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries, including the European Union, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Internationally and within the available information, no evidence of a ban as of 24 March 2025 to prohibit all uses of DEET for health or environmental reasons has been identified. DEET is currently under registration review by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

Next steps

Upon publication of this proposed re-evaluation decision, the public, including the registrants and stakeholders are encouraged to submit additional information that could be used to refine risk assessments during the 90-day public consultation period.

Health Canada will accept written comments on this proposal up to 90 days from the date of publication of PRVD2025-09 ("consultation period"). Comments on the proposed decision can be submitted during the consultation period to the PMRA through PMRA Publications, or the Public Engagement Portal (Public Engagement Forms – Consultation Comment). For more information or if you have questions, contact the PMRA's Pest Management Information Service.

Before making a re-evaluation decision on DEET under section 21 of the Pest Control Products Act, the comments received during the consultation period that are directly related to this proposed decision, such as comments directed to the Science evaluation, will be taken into consideration in preparation of the final re-evaluation decision document. A science-based approach will be applied in making a final decision on DEET. In accordance with subsection 28(5) of the Pest Control Products Act, Health Canada will then publish a final re-evaluation decision document, which will include the decision, the reasons for it, a summary of the comments received directly related to the proposed re-evaluation decision during the consultation period, and Health Canada's response to these comments.

Refer to Appendix I of PRVD2025-09 for details on specific products impacted by this proposed decision.

Other information

The relevant confidential test data on which the proposed decision is based (as documented in the References of PRVD2025-09) are available for public inspection, upon application, in PMRA's Reading Room. For more information, please contact the Pest Management Information Service.

Additional scientific information

Additional scientific data are not required at this time.