A surfactant in crop sprays clears EPA's residue test

At the federal level, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized a narrow residue exemption for resin acids, esters with glycerol, a pesticide-formulation ingredient. The rule covers use as an inert ingredient, specifically a surfactant, on growing crops and raw agricultural commodities before and after harvest. It took effect June 18, 2026.

That matters because a tolerance is the maximum permissible residue limit under food law. When EPA removes that requirement for a specific use, pesticide manufacturers and formulators no longer have to build that ingredient into a separate residue limit for that lane.

A tighter lane for the mix

Croda Inc. asked EPA for the change under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FFDCA. The agency’s action is not about an active pesticide ingredient. It is about what can sit inside the formulation as a surfactant, the additive that helps a spray spread, wet or stick.

The ingredient is resin acids, esters with glycerol, identified in the rule as CAS Reg. No. 8050-31-5. Because the exemption reaches both pre-harvest and post-harvest use on raw agricultural commodities, the practical audience stretches from formulators to growers and others handling crops as they move through the food supply chain.

The challenge window stays open

EPA said the rule eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of this ingredient when it is used within the exemption’s terms. The agency also said no analytical enforcement method is required because it is not setting a numerical tolerance.

People who want to challenge the rule still have until Aug. 17, 2026, to file objections or ask for a hearing.