For Release:  March 13, 2017

Every pesticide must have labeling that is approved by EPA before it can be sold or distributed. A pesticide is misbranded under FIFRA if its labeling is false or misleading, which can lead to unsafe and ineffective use of the product. State governments generally have the authority to enforce these labeling requirements.  

EPA is working on a mobile application that will dramatically save state government inspectors’ time and increase efficiency, allowing for more labels to be inspected and improving compliance rates over time. As part of this effort, EPA is looking for state and federal officials to beta test the Pesticide Label Matcher (PLM) mobile application. EPA is particularly interested in federal and state officials who routinely go into the field and inspect pesticide products, as well as pesticide registrants.  

The aim of the application is to modernize and streamline the current manual process for inspecting and reviewing pesticide labels for potential violations. With this application, inspectors can enter the EPA pesticide registration number on a mobile device and compare the label they are viewing with the approved federal master label and/or data contained in EPA’s Pesticide Product Label System. This app will also include a web-based component for access via supported browsers on other devices such as laptops and desktops.  

Parties interested in participating in beta testing can contact Alan Boutureira (LMP@epa.gov). The PLM application release 1.2 will be open for beta testing through May 31, 2017.

EPA will host an instructional webinar on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. ET. Beta testers are encouraged to attend the webinar. Register for the Pesticide Label Matcher webinar. Exit

More information on the mobile application for pesticide label matching.