Ingredient Index
Is Mancozeb banned in Europe?
Yes: the EU let mancozeb's approval lapse in 2020-21, classifying it as toxic to reproduction and a suspected endocrine disruptor. In the US, it remains one of the more widely used agricultural fungicides.
What the EU does
Not renewed. Mancozeb is a dithiocarbamate fungicide once sprayed heavily on grapes, potatoes, and vegetables to control mould and blight. When its EU approval came up for renewal, EFSA flagged it as toxic to reproduction (category 1B) and identified endocrine-disrupting properties for both humans and wildlife. The EU declined to renew, and the approval expired, with a short sell-off and use period that closed in early 2021.
That places mancozeb in the growing group of older pesticides the EU has retired not because of a single acute danger, but because the hazard profile (reproductive and hormonal effects) no longer clears the bar the EU sets for continued approval.
Citation Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2087 (mancozeb non-renewal); EFSA conclusion on mancozeb (reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption)
What the US does
Still registered and widely used. In the US, mancozeb remains an EPA-registered fungicide applied across many fruit, vegetable, and field crops, with established residue tolerances. The EPA has reviewed it and proposed some new restrictions and mitigation measures over the years, but it has not withdrawn the chemical the way the EU did.
So a grape, potato, or apple grown with mancozeb in the US can carry legal residues that would not be permitted on the same crop grown for the EU market. It is a textbook case of the two systems weighing the same reproductive and endocrine data and landing in different places.
Citation US EPA registration and tolerances for mancozeb (40 CFR 180.176); EPA registration review docket
Products that commonly contain it
A field fungicide, mancozeb appears as a residue on produce rather than as an ingredient:
- Grapes and wine grapes
- Potatoes and tomatoes
- Apples and other tree fruit
- A range of vegetables prone to fungal disease
What to look for on a label
No label discloses it, so sourcing does the work:
- EU-grown produce is held to mancozeb residue limits set at or near the detection floor
- US organic produce prohibits synthetic fungicides like mancozeb
- Washing removes some surface residue; it does not eliminate it
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Frequently asked questions
Is mancozeb banned in Europe?
Yes. The EU did not renew its approval and it came off the market in early 2021, classified as toxic to reproduction and a suspected endocrine disruptor.
Is mancozeb used in the US?
Yes, widely. It remains an EPA-registered fungicide with residue tolerances on many crops, though the EPA has added some use restrictions.
What are the health concerns?
The main flags are reproductive toxicity and endocrine (hormone) disruption, plus a breakdown product, ethylenethiourea, studied for thyroid effects. These are chronic-exposure concerns, not acute poisoning at dietary levels.
Related ingredients
Related reading
Primary sources
- EU Pesticides Database: mancozeb (non-renewal)
- EFSA: conclusion on the peer review of mancozeb
- US EPA: mancozeb tolerances (40 CFR 180.176)
Last reviewed July 27, 2026 · How we assign statuses