Proposed Registration Decision PRD2025-18, Benzoic Acid and Microban Additive GS

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Pest Management Regulatory Agency
16 December 2025
ISSN: 1925-0886 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-9/2025-18E-PDF (PDF version)

Summary

Table of contents

• Proposed registration decision for benzoic acid and Microban Additive GS
• What does Health Canada consider when making a registration decision?
• What is benzoic acid?
• Health considerations
• Environmental considerations
• Value considerations
• Measures to minimize risk
• Next steps
• Other information

Proposed registration decision for benzoic acid and Microban Additive GS

Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), pursuant to subsection 28(1) of the Pest Control Products Act, is proposing registration for the sale and use of Ascera X-TA and Microban Additive GS belonging to Microban Canada Inc., containing the technical grade active ingredient benzoic acid, for use as a material preservative to inhibit the growth of bacteria, mould, mildew, fungus and yeast in products with household, institutional, and industrial uses including non-food contact polymers and plastics, textiles, paints, industrial maintenance coatings, and hygroscopic inorganic, cellulose materials.

Benzoic acid and Mircroban Additive GS were evaluated in accordance with PMRA Guidance Document, Registration of Non-Conventional Pest Control Products. The evaluation of available scientific information found that, under the approved conditions of use, the health and environmental risks and the value of the pest control products are acceptable.

This summary describes the key points of the evaluation, while the Science evaluation of the full version of Proposed Registration Decision PRD2025-18, Benzoic Acid and Microban Additive GS provides detailed technical information on the human health, environmental and value assessments of benzoic acid and Microban Additive GS.

What does Health Canada consider when making a registration decision?

The primary objective of the Pest Control Products Act is to prevent unacceptable risks to individuals and the environment from the use of pest control products. Health or environmental risk is considered acceptable^{Footnote 1} if there is reasonable certainty that no harm to human health, future generations or the environment will result from use or exposure to the product under its proposed conditions of registration. The Act also requires that products have value^{Footnote 2} when used according to the label directions. Conditions of registration may include precautionary measures on the product label to further reduce risk.

To reach its decisions, Health Canada's PMRA applies modern, rigorous risk-assessment methods and policies. These methods consider the unique characteristics of sensitive subpopulations in humans (for example, children). They also consider the unique characteristics of organisms in the environment. These methods and policies also consider the nature of the effects observed and the uncertainties when predicting the impact of pesticides. For more information on how Health Canada's PMRA regulates pesticides, the assessment process and risk-reduction programs, please visit the Pesticides and pest management portion of Canada.ca.

Before making a final registration decision on benzoic acid and Microban Additive GS, Health Canada's PMRA will consider any written comments received from the public directly related to the proposed decision in this consultation document.^{Footnote 3} Health Canada will then publish a Registration Decision^{Footnote 4} on benzoic acid and Microban Additive GS, which will include the decision, the reasons for it, a summary of comments received on the proposed registration decision, and Health Canada's response to these comments.

For more details on the information presented in this summary, please refer to the Science evaluation of PRD2025-18.

What is benzoic acid?

Benzoic acid, when used in the production of several different types of products (household, industrial and institutional), is able to inhibit the growth of bacteria, mould, mildew, fungus and yeast.

The benzoic acid mode of action includes changes in cell membrane integrity, loss of energy generation, reduction of intracellular pH and inhibition of specific enzymes.

Health considerations

Can approved uses of benzoic acid affect human health?

Benzoic acid is unlikely to affect human health when used according to label directions.

Toxicology studies in laboratory animals describe potential health effects from varying levels of exposure to a chemical and identify the dose where no effects are observed. When assessing health risks, two key factors are considered:

• the levels at which no health effects occur and
• the levels to which people may be exposed.

The levels used to assess risks are established to protect the most sensitive human population (for example, children and nursing mothers). As such, sex and gender are taken into account in the risk assessment. Only uses for which the exposure is well below levels that cause no effect in animal testing are considered acceptable for registration.

Published scientific literature, publicly available toxicology information and a submitted animal study were assessed for benzoic acid. In the body, benzoic acid is broken down in the liver and excreted in the urine within 24 hours. Benzoates, precursors of benzoic acid, are present in some foods, and are used as food flavouring agents and fragrance ingredients in household cleaning products and cosmetics. Benzoic acid is permitted as a food preservative in Canada.

Potential exposure to benzoic acid may occur when handling the product. Benzoic acid is expected to be of low acute toxicity via the oral and inhalation routes, mildly irritating to the eyes, slightly irritating to the skin and not a dermal sensitizer.

Animals given repeated doses of benzoic acid did not experience adverse effects. There was no indication that the young were more sensitive than the adult animal. Benzoic acid is not expected to be mutagenic or carcinogenic.

The end-use product, Microban Additive GS, is expected to be of low acute toxicity via the oral and inhalation routes, mildly irritating to the eyes, slightly irritating to the skin and not a dermal sensitizer.

Residues in food and drinking water

Dietary risks from food and drinking water are acceptable.

The end-use product, Microban Additive GS, is not proposed for food or feed uses. Dietary or drinking water exposure is not expected from the proposed use of benzoic acid as a material preservative. Consequently, a dietary risk assessment is not required.

Risks in residential and other non-occupational environments

Estimated risk for residential and other non-occupational exposure is acceptable.

Microban Additive GS will only be added to products for material preservation in an industrial setting. Microban Additive GS-treated products are proposed for use in households, institutions or indoor industrial settings. Treated products will be used by professional or residential users. Standard mitigating label statements are required on commercial and consumer products sold in Canada. Consequently, the health risk to residents and the general public is acceptable.

Occupational risks from handling Microban Additive GS

Occupational risks are acceptable when Microban Additive GS is used according to the label directions, which include protective measures.

Workers handling Microban Additive GS may be exposed to benzoic acid through contact with the skin or by inhalation during loading, open mixing, clean-up and repair.

To protect workers from exposure to the end-use product, the label requires workers to wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, chemical-resistant gloves, socks and shoes during loading, open mixing, clean-up and repair. For loading and open mixing activities, workers are also required to wear a NIOSH-approved N95 (minimum) filtering facepiece respirator (dust mask) that is properly fit tested. Precautionary and hygiene statements on the label are considered adequate to protect individuals from occupational exposure.

The health risks to workers are acceptable when the precautionary statements on the label are observed.

Environmental considerations

What happens when benzoic acid is introduced into the environment?

When benzoic acid is used according to label directions, the risks to the environment have been determined to be acceptable.

Benzoic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in many plants and is also used as a food preservative. It is an antimicrobial agent and controls yeast and fungal growth. Microban Additive GS is used as a material preservative in finished products such as fabrics, coatings, plastics, and paints.

Benzoic acid undergoes rapid biodegradation in the environment in soil and water. It is, therefore, not expected to be persistent in the environment. Benzoic acid does not bioconcentrate in fish. The toxicity of benzoic acid to aquatic and terrestrial organisms is low. Given that benzoic acid is incorporated into products and not applied directly in the environment, the potential for exposure of non-target terrestrial and aquatic organisms is expected to be low. Therefore, the environmental risk associated with the use of this product as a material preservative is expected to be acceptable.

Value considerations

What is the value of Microban Additive GS?

Microban Additive GS is used to provide microbiostatic material preservation of household, industrial and institutional products.

Microban Additive GS will serve as an alternative material preservative for household, industrial and institutional products.

Measures to minimize risk

Labels of registered pesticide products include specific instructions for use. Directions include risk-reduction measures to protect human health and the environment. These directions must be followed by law.

The key risk-reduction measures being proposed on the labels of Ascera X-TA and Microban Additive GS to address the potential risks identified in this assessment are as follows.

Key risk-reduction measures - Human health

The hazard signal words "DANGER CORROSIVE" and "EYE IRRITANT" are required on the principal display panels of the labels for both Ascera X-TA and Microban Additive GS. Standard precautionary statements are also required on the labels to inform users that the products cause eye irritation.

Workers are required to wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, chemical-resistant gloves, socks and shoes during loading, open mixing, clean-up and repair. For loading and open mixing activities, workers are also required to wear a NIOSH-approved N95 (minimum) filtering facepiece respirator (dust mask) that is properly fit tested.

To limit bystander exposure, the end-use product label requires a statement indicating only authorized access is permitted in the area during handling.

Key risk-reduction measures - Environment

Standard label statements are required to prevent release to the environment, such as during cleaning of equipment, storage and disposal of waste.

Next steps

Before making a final registration decision on Ascera X-TA and Microban Additive GS, Health Canada's PMRA will consider any written comments received from the public that are directly related to this proposed decision PRD2025-18, such as comments directed to the science evaluation, in response to this consultation document up to 30 days from the date of publication of PRD2025-18 (by 15 January 2026) of this document.

If more time is required to provide comments, a request for an extension of an additional 15 days can be made. Your request must be submitted in writing to the PMRA's Publications Section within the 30-day consultation period.

Please forward all comments to PMRA Publications, through the Public Engagement Portal (Public Engagement Portal forms – Consultation Comment). Health Canada will then publish a Registration Decision, which will include its decision, the reasons for it, a summary of comments received on the proposed decision and Health Canada's response to these comments.

Other information

When Health Canada's PMRA makes its registration decision, it will publish a Registration Decision on Ascera X-TA and Microban Additive GS (based on the Science evaluation of PRD2025-18). In addition, the test data referenced in this consultation document will be available for public inspection, upon application, in the PMRA's Reading Room. For more information or if you have questions, please contact the PMRA's Pest Management Information Service.