The Guatemalan Ministerio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social (Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare; “Ministerio”) has released for comment a draft of Norma Técnica 84-2021 Versión 1 Registro Sanitario de Productos Repelentes de Uso Externo en Humanos y Productos Repelentes de Uso en Ambientes (Technical Standard No. 84-2021 Version 1: Sanitary Registration of Repellent Products for External Use in Humans and Spatial Repellent Products). Technical Standard No. 84-2021 establishes requirements for the sanitary registration of repellent products for external use in humans and spatial repellent products, whether of natural (botanical extracts, essential or other natural oils) origin or of synthetic (chemical) origin.
The objectives of Technical Standard No. 84-2021 are as follows:
1. Establish requirements for repellent products for humans use and spatial repellent products to fulfil the requirements of Article 35 of Government Decision No. 115-99;
2. Compliment Central American Technical Regulations on the registration and labelling of pesticides for domestic use and professional use, which do not include repellents; and
3. To affirm that Guatemalan laws, along with the World Health Organization (WHO) classify repellents as pesticides.
Technical Standard No. 84-2021 addresses those items put up in forms or packaging for retail sale or as preparations or articles (e.g., sulfur-treated bands, wicks and candles and flypapers). The products/product types covered under Technical Standard No. 84-2021 are:
1. Insecticides;
2. Rodenticides;
3. Fungicides;
4. Herbicides;
5. Anti-sprouting products and plant growth regulators;
6. Disinfectants and similar products.
The final date for comments is 01 September 2022.
