Ingredient Index

Is Malathion banned in Europe?

Restricted in EU

Restricted, not banned: the EU cut malathion back to permanent greenhouses only and withdrew its outdoor uses from 2019. The US EPA allows it broadly, on crops and for mosquito control, so the everyday gap is real even though it is not a clean ban.

CAS: 121-75-5 Also seen as: Malathion, Maldison, carbophos

What the EU does

Restricted, not fully banned. This is a case where the honest label matters. The EU did not erase malathion; it sharply narrowed it. Under a 2018 regulation, member states had to withdraw authorizations for outdoor use and confine malathion to crops grown in permanent greenhouses, with the outdoor withdrawals taking effect by 29 April 2019. The concerns centered on the toxic breakdown product malaoxon and on exposure.

So on the pill above we say "restricted," not "banned," on purpose. Malathion can still be used in the EU inside permanent greenhouse structures. What it lost was the open-field and general outdoor use that makes up most real-world spraying.

Citation Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1495 (amended conditions of approval; malathion restricted to permanent greenhouses, outdoor authorizations withdrawn by 29 Apr 2019); further conditions under Reg (EU) 2026/372

What the US does

Broadly registered. The US EPA registers malathion, an organophosphate, for a wide range of uses: fruits and vegetables, landscaping and shrubs, and, notably, mosquito control by public-health districts. It is also used in USDA eradication programs for the boll weevil and the Mediterranean fruit fly.

That is a much wider footprint than the EU's greenhouse-only allowance. The practical result is that malathion is a familiar outdoor and public-health tool in the US, while in the EU it has been pushed into an enclosed niche.

Citation US EPA registration of malathion (agricultural, residential, and mosquito-control uses); USDA boll weevil and Medfly programs; EPA malathion registration review

Products that commonly contain it

As an insecticide, malathion connects to:

Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables in the US
Outdoor mosquito-control spraying by public-health districts
Landscaping, shrubs, and garden pest products
Imported produce grown where outdoor use is still permitted

What to look for on a label

On garden products it is on the label; on food it is not:

On pesticides, malathion is listed as an active ingredient
Certified-organic produce prohibits it
In the EU, outdoor use is withdrawn; only permanent-greenhouse use remains

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Frequently asked questions

Is malathion banned in Europe?

Not entirely. The EU restricted it to permanent greenhouses and withdrew outdoor uses from 2019. That is a restriction, not a full ban, which is why we pill it "restricted."

How is the US different?

The US EPA registers malathion broadly, for crops, landscaping, and mosquito control, a much wider footprint than the EU's greenhouse-only allowance.

Why is it used against mosquitoes?

Malathion is a fast-acting organophosphate, and US public-health districts use it for adult mosquito control, including during disease outbreaks.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed August 17, 2026 · How we assign statuses