Re-evaluation Decision RVD2026-05, DEET plus related active toluamides and its associated end-use products

• Health Canada
• Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch
• Pesticides Regulatory Directorate
• 27 October 2026
• ISSN: 1925-1025 (PDF version)
• Catalogue number: H113-28/2026-5E-PDF (PDF version)

Summary

Table of contents

• Re-evaluation decision for DEET plus related active toluamides and its associated end-use products
• Re-evaluation decision for DEET
• Risk mitigation measures
• Implementation of the re-evaluation decision
• Continuous oversight
• Next steps
• Other information
• Appendix I Registered products containing DEET in Canada

Re-evaluation decision for DEET plus related active toluamides and its associated end-use products

Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, all registered pesticides must be re-evaluated by Health Canada to ensure that they meet current health and environmental standards and have value. The re-evaluation considers data and information from pesticide manufacturers, published scientific reports and other regulatory agencies, as well as comments directly related to the proposed re-evaluation decision, such as comments directed to the Science evaluation, received during public consultations. Health Canada applies internationally accepted risk assessment methods as well as current risk management approaches and policies. More details, on the legislative framework, risk assessment and risk management approach, are provided under the Evaluation approach section in the full version of RVD2026-05.

DEET plus related active toluamides (hereafter referred to as DEET) is an insect repellent and is used in many domestic class, personal insect repellents and is applied to clothing or directly to skin. DEET is used to repel a number of biting and nuisance insects including black flies, biting midges, chiggers, deer flies, stable flies, mosquitoes, and ticks. It can be applied by towelette, spray pump, hand or pressurized spray. Currently registered products containing DEET can be found in the Pesticide Product Information Database and in Appendix I or in the full version of Re-evaluation Decision RVD2026-05, DEET plus related active toluamides and its associated end-use products.

The Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2025-09, DEET plus related active toluamides and its associated end-use products^{Footnote 1} containing the evaluation of DEET and proposed decision, underwent a 90-day consultation period ending on 21 January 2026. PRVD2025-09 proposed continued registration of DEET and its associated end-use products in Canada. No additional risk mitigation measures are required as a result of the re-evaluation of DEET, however label amendments are required. These amendments are needed to bring labels up to current standards, to provide further clarity on how the products are to be used and, to ensure consistency. Label amendments include updated precaution and direction of use statements for both the technical grade and domestic-class end-use products.

Written comments were received related to the proposed re-evaluation decision, such as comments directed to the science evaluation were received during the public consultation period conducted in accordance with section 28 of the Pest Control Products Act. Commenters are listed in Appendix II of RVD2026-05 and comments are summarized in Appendix III of RVD2026-05 with responses from Health Canada. These comments were considered and did not result in revisions to the risk assessments. Therefore, this decision is consistent with the proposed re-evaluation decision as described in PRVD2025-09.

A reference list of information used as the basis for the proposed re-evaluation decision is included in PRVD2025-09, and further information used in the re-evaluation decision (RVD2026-05) is listed in Appendix V of RVD2026-05. Therefore, the complete reference list of all information used in this final re-evaluation decision includes both the information set out in PRVD2025-09 and the information set out in Appendix V of RVD2026-05 herein.

This document (RVD2026-05) presents the final re-evaluation decision^{Footnote 2} for the re-evaluation of DEET, including the required amendments to protect human health and the environment, as well as label amendments required to bring labels to current standards. All products containing DEET that are registered in Canada are subject to this re-evaluation decision.

Re-evaluation decision for DEET

Health Canada has completed the re-evaluation of DEET. Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, Health Canada has completed all required evaluations and consultations and has determined that the registration of products containing DEET is required to be amended, in accordance with paragraph 21(2)(a) of the Pest Control Products Act. An evaluation of available scientific information respecting the health and environmental risks and value of DEET found that all uses of DEET products meet current standards for protection of human health and the environment and have acceptable value when used according to the amended conditions of registration. Label amendments, as summarized below and listed in Appendix IV of RVD2026-05, are required.

Risk mitigation measures

Registered pesticide product labels include specific directions for use. Directions include risk mitigation measures to protect human health and the environment and must be followed by law. The required amendments, including any revised/updated label statements and/or mitigation measures, as a result of the re-evaluation of DEET, are summarized below. Refer to Appendix IV of RVD2026-05 for details.

Human health

Label improvements to meet current standards:

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

Implementation of the re-evaluation decision

Regulatory Directive DIR2018-01, Policy on Cancellations and Amendments Following Re-evaluation and Special Review provides information and general timelines regarding the implementation of post-market decisions, (for example, up to 24-month timeline for label amendments and up to 36-month phase-out timeline for cancelled registrations), and Information Note: Update on implementation of post-market decisions provides additional information on phase-out measures for post-market decisions that include cancellations. The post-market decision considers potential health and environmental risks regarding the use of the pest control product, and its value, when establishing the implementation timelines.

The health considerations for the implementation timeline for this final decision are outlined below.

Health considerations

In the case of the DEET re-evaluation only, given that the nature of the amendments are intended to update to current standards only and given the number of products involved in this re-evaluation, PRD will conduct a pilot project and will allow an additional year from the date of this decision to transition to newly amended labels. The required amendments for pest control products containing DEET must be implemented within 36 months after the publication date of this decision document. This implementation timeline is considered acceptable.

The implementation timeline of 36 months for the required amendments (label updates) for pest control products containing DEET is considered acceptable. These required amendments must be implemented within 36 months after the publication date of this decision document.

Amendment timeframe

Based on the above considerations, the required amendments (mitigation measures and label updates) for pest control products containing DEET must be implemented within 36 months from the date of this decision document.

Refer to Appendix I for details on specific products impacted by this decision.

Proportional effort

Active ingredients registered in Canada are categorized based on criteria in Health Canada's Policy on Proportional Effort. The categorization is used to inform Health Canada's allocation of resources related to pesticide reviews in alignment with the required level of regulatory effort. DEET plus related toluamides is categorized as lower proportional effort based on the health criteria and environmental criteria. The proportional effort categorization will be used to inform the scope and level of effort needed for future reviews.

Continuous oversight

Health Canada's policy on continuous oversight of pesticides and the associated information note describe the process for monitoring published scientific literature for active ingredients registered in Canada, and the criteria used to determine which active ingredients will be monitored when a final regulatory decision is made. The criteria in the information note have been met, therefore, scientific literature and regulatory information will be monitored as part of continuous oversight for this active ingredient.

Next steps

To comply with this decision, the required amendments (mitigation measures and label updates) must be implemented on all product labels no later than 36 months after the publication date of RVD2026-05. Accordingly, both registrants and retailers will have up to 36 months from the date of this decision document to transition to selling the product with the newly amended labels. Similarly, users will also have the same 36-month period from the date of RVD2026-05 to transition to using the newly amended labels, which will be available on the Public Registry.

Refer to Appendix I for details on specific products impacted by this decision.

Other information

The relevant confidential test data on which the decision is based (as referenced in PRVD2025-09 and in Appendix V of RVD2026-05 are available for public inspection, upon application, in Pesticides Regulatory Directorate's Reading Room. For more information, please contact the Pesticides Information Service.

Any person may file a notice of objection,^{Footnote 3} which must be based on scientific grounds, regarding this decision on DEET plus related active toluamides and its associated end-use products within 60 days from the date of publication of this Re-evaluation Decision through the Public Engagement Portal (Public Engagement Forms - Notice of Objection). The request for reconsideration must include the Notice of Objection form, the scientific explanation of the objection and the supporting scientific evidence in possession of the requestor that would not already be in Health Canada's possession or cite specific Health Canada documentation they wish to rely on as supporting evidence (for example, scientific reports) in the form of electronic copies of cited references. Each of the references provided or cited must be clearly associated with the objection it supports. Failure to provide a complete package may result in the Notice of Objection being considered ineligible for further consideration by Health Canada. For more information regarding the basis for objecting (which must be based on scientific grounds), please refer to the Pesticides and Pest Management portion of the Canada.ca website or contact the Pesticides Information Service.

Appendix I Registered products containing DEET in Canada