Evidence for confident technical review.
EPA registration, FDA compliance, migration testing, published research and in-market trials in Kenya — each answers a different question, and all of it is available for your technical team to review.
A clear role for every reference.
ProvisionGard is EPA registered and FDA compliant, migration-tested by Eurofins and studied by USDA and university entomologists for more than a decade. Each reference below plays a specific role. Together they let a technical buyer review the technology with confidence.
Institutional listing
Institutional listingA recognised place for governments, development partners and food businesses to review ProvisionGard.
Regulatory & food contact
Regulatory & food contactEPA registration, FDA compliance and migration testing.
Published research & laboratory studies
Published research & laboratory studiesIndependent laboratory and published studies on treated packaging.
What has been established, and how.
ProvisionGard is EPA registered and FDA compliant. Its active ingredient, S-methoprene, is exempt from US residue tolerances on all food commodities, and ProvisionGard coatings, film additives and adhesive additives are registered end-use products with the US EPA. Eurofins has measured methoprene migration from treated paper and PET/PE packs at levels well inside European and Indian food-contact limits.
Performance has been studied by USDA Agricultural Research Service and Kansas State University entomologists on treated film and paper packaging, including a twelve-month residual study and peer-reviewed work at 27 °C and 32 °C. In Kenya, a six-month in-market trial with a large Kenyan miller recorded no infestation in ProvisionGard-treated flour packets, while the miller’s standard packets showed infestation from month five. A large Kenyan retailer has also completed a successful trial of ProvisionGard in the flexible packaging for its jumbo oats.
Results depend on the pack, the food, the insect species and the storage conditions, so we confirm performance on your own product before commercial supply.
What each evidence stream establishes.
| Evidence stream | What it establishes | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| EPA registered | ProvisionGard coating, film-additive and adhesive products are EPA-registered end-use products (Reg. No. 81390-2 and 81390-4). Methoprene is exempt from residue tolerances on all food commodities (40 CFR 180.1033). | Applies to the ProvisionGard product used according to its label. Country registrations are handled market by market. |
| FDA compliant | The ingredients of ProvisionGard products meet FDA requirements for food-contact use, supported by an independent 21 CFR review of the polymer additive (NSF International) and a legal opinion on IGR 30000/A. | Finished-pack compliance rests with the converter, as for any packaging material. |
| Eurofins migration testing | Methoprene migration to dry-food simulant below 20 µg/kg for treated paper bags and PET/PE film, compliant with EC 1935/2004 and Indian FSS packaging regulations. | Tested structures and dry-food simulant. A new structure may need its own test. |
| Published and laboratory research | Kansas State University and USDA ARS studies (Journal of Stored Products Research, 2016 and 2017; USDA ARS 2013 and 2022) on treated PE-PE, PET-PE and paper packaging: suppression of red flour beetle, warehouse beetle and sawtoothed grain beetle development; activity retained over twelve months. IIFPT (India): no adult emergence of red flour beetle or cigarette beetle on treated packaging. | Laboratory bioassays at 27–32 °C and 60% RH on supplied packaging. |
| In-market trials, Kenya | Flour: six-month head-to-head on two flour lines at a large Kenyan miller — no infestation in treated packets at any check; untreated packets showed webbing and worms from month five; 120,000 treated packets sold through normal retail with no infestation complaints; treated packets held 91–97% of fresh-product sensory score at six months, against 68–89% for untreated. Jumbo oats: successful trial by a large Kenyan retailer in flexible packaging. | Customers’ own evaluations. Paper packets via the coating route and flexible packaging; Kenyan warehouse and retail conditions. |
TAAT e-catalogue listing
ProvisionGard™ is listed in the TAAT e-catalogues for review by private sector, government and development partner audiences.
TAAT, Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation, is a major African agricultural transformation programme linked to the African Development Bank’s Feed Africa strategy. Its e-catalogues help decision-makers identify agricultural technologies that can support productivity, food security and resilient value chains across Africa.
ProvisionGard’s inclusion gives food producers, packaging converters, governments and development partners a recognised place to review insect-resistant packaging as part of post-harvest loss reduction, food security and packaged-food quality programmes.
View ProvisionGard in the TAAT e-catalogues:
The listing is a place to review the technology. Performance for your product is confirmed through a trial on your own pack.
Increases shelf life.
Infestation, not staleness, is what usually ends the shelf life of packaged flour and meal. In the Kenya miller trial, ProvisionGard-treated packets stayed infestation-free through six months of warehouse storage, while standard packets showed webbing and worms from month five.
Treated packets also held 91–97% of their fresh-product taste, aroma and texture score at six months, against 68–89% for untreated packets. A trial on your own product shows what that means for your shelf life.
Questions worth asking.
Does a TAAT listing replace a packaging trial?
No. The TAAT e-catalogues are a recognised place for governments, development partners and food businesses to review ProvisionGard alongside other agricultural technologies. They are not a performance guarantee for your product. We still confirm performance in your pack, on your product, before commercial supply.
Is ProvisionGard safe in food packaging?
Yes. ProvisionGard is EPA registered and FDA compliant, its active is exempt from US residue tolerances on food, and Eurofins migration tests confirm food-contact compliance for the tested structures. It has no taste, smell or colour, and it sits in the varnish, film or adhesive layer, not in the food.
What should we send first?
Your food product, pack size and pack construction (paper, film, laminate or woven), how the pack is printed or laminated, who converts it and where the product is sold. With that we can identify the route, pull the relevant evidence and propose a trial plan.
Research papers and test reports.
MIT food-assistance packaging study
MIT CITE worked with USAID and USDA to compare eight packaging types in actual food-assistance shipments. The study assessed cost, quality and practical use. It found that biopesticide-treated bags had potential to reduce costs while maintaining quality about as well as standard packaging.
Packaging efficacy studies
Kansas State University, USDA ARS and IIFPT studies examine insect development on treated packaging. Request the papers relevant to your packaging format and target insects.
Migration and Kenya trial reports
Review Eurofins migration testing and the Kenya trial results for the tested pack structures, products and storage conditions.