The definition of a tank mix adjuvant, as developed and approved by ASTM, is “a material added to a tank mix to aid or modify the action of an agrichemical, or the physical characteristics of the mixture.” Adjuvants provide important benefits to applicators by improving pesticide spreading, wetting, canopy and leaf penetration, and adhesion. Adjuvants can reduce pesticide drift, reduce foaming problems in spray tank mixtures, provide acidification to reduce alkaline hydrolysis and reduce unintended exposures and potentially adverse environmental effects.

When users purchase a CPDA certified adjuvant product, they have the assurance that the product meets the functionality claims indicated on the label according to a specified, uniform set of standards, and that ingredients used in the product meet EPA regulations for approved ingredients for use in pesticide tank mixes. The ASTM International standards E1519 and E609 (available for purchase on the ASTM website) provide the structure for ensuring an adjuvant product is of high quality and reliability.  Pesticide registrants and users will have the assurance that the product will meet its performance claims and that all product labeling guidelines have been followed.

Complete the Application for CPDA Spray Adjuvant Certification. The application will be forwarded to the CPDA Adjuvant Certification Committee for review and approval.

Any company that sells an adjuvant may apply for certification, regardless of whether or not the company is a member of CPDA.  An applicant seeking certification of its adjuvant product submits to CPDA a completed online Application.  CPDA’s industry-led expert Certification Committee then reviews the application to ensure the product meets the specifications set forth in each of sixteen standards.  In conducting its review of the application package, the CPDA Certification Committee may recommend slight changes to conclude the approval process.

Once approved by the Committee, to complete the certification process and procure authorization to use the registered certification trademark (Certification Mark), CPDA will provide the applicant with the License Agreement documentation. The applicant signs and returns all documentation, including a final product label displaying the CPDA Certification Logo.  The application fee will be invoiced at this time.   The entire review process will generally take 90 days from submission of the application to completion of review and notice of product certification.

The CPDA Certification License Agreement is effective for a period of 3 years, after which renews upon product recertification to continue use of the Certification Mark for another 3-year period.  Additionally at any time a product must be re-certified if a chemical or compositional change of the product impacts one or more of the voluntary standards, or if new information or manufacturing changes impact the toxicity profile of the product.

A Primary CPDA Certification is obtained by the basic producer for a specific adjuvant formulation. Once a CPDA Primary Certification is obtained, the company holding such certification may apply for a sub-certification of the Primary Certified product. This is generally used when the holder of a Primary Certification wants to market the product in a different geography under a different name or produce it for another company under a private label agreement.

The layout of the sub-certified label can be altered but it must contain the required information displayed on the Primary Certified product. Primary functioning agent(s) and their percent content of the formulation must be identical to that of the Primary Certified product. Only functionality claims made on the Primary Certified label may be claimed on the sub-certified label however, not all claims made on the Primary Certified label are required on the sub-certified label. i.e, you can claim fewer functionalities but not more.

Only internal CPDA staff review and approve sub-certification applications. Great care is taken to preserve confidential relationships between adjuvant producers and their private label customers.

There are two options as follows:

1. Laboratory Studies – At designated location in the online application upload a 1- or 2-page summary of the results of the required eye, oral and dermal toxicity studies, preferably on the letterhead of the lab conducting the studies,. The summary needs to include the testing parameters of the studies and the resulting toxicity category. An aquatic toxicity study is required if the label lists an aquatic use recommendation.
2. Regulatory Database Software Program – In lieu of laboratory product testing, applicants may comply with this requirement by utilizing a recognized “Regulatory Database Software Program” used in preparation of the product’s SDS and lists the required toxicity category information in Section 11 of the SDS.

Toxicity study results are used to determine the product’s Signal Word to be displayed on the product label as detailed in Appendix I of the CPDA Adjuvant Standards.

A Signal Word is not required on the product label if all toxicity study results fall into Category 5. However, it is recommended one of the following two statements be displayed on the label; (1) “Not classified as hazardous according to GHS.” or (2) “Toxicity end points for this product exceed classification under GHS and it is being labeled under previous regulations.”

The CPDA Adjuvant Certification Program is a self-certifying program and, other than listing the principal functioning agent(s) on the label, requires nothing that would be deemed confidential such as the “confidential statement of formula.”

The review process takes approximately 30 days unless follow up information or label revisions are required.

The application goes to the CPDA Technical Director, Adjuvant Certification Program (ACP). In addition to the Technical Director ACP, the ACP Certification Review Committee consists of 5 volunteers from multiple segments of the adjuvant industry. The current members of the Certification Committee can be found here.

What are the CPDA Adjuvant Certification fees?

Application and Renewal fees are listed below.  Application fees are due once a product is approved for CPDA Certification and provides certification for a period of three (3) years.  A Renewal Certification process is conducted and invoiced every 3 years after the initial approval.  For convenience, the invoicing of annual maintenance fees have been discontinued.  The Application Fee and the 3-year Renewal Fee have been adjusted to compensate for the elimination of the annual maintenance fees.  For CPDA Members, the new pricing does not reflect an increase in cost over a 3-year period.

Application Fee

• CPDA Members:  First time application approval for each product – $600
• CPDA Members:  Application for sublicensing of each product – $250
• Non-Members:  First time application approval for each product – $800
• Non-Members:  Application for sublicensing of each product – $350

Three-year Renewal Fee

• CPDA Members: Three-year(3) certification renewal fee for each standard product – $500
• CPDA Members: Three-year(3) certification renewal fee for each sublicensed product – $200
• Non-Members: Three-year(3) certification renewal fee for each standard product -$650
• Non-Members: Three-year(3) certification renewal fee for each sublicensed product – $300

A product may be subject to a re-certification fee if a chemical or compositional change of the product impacts one or more of the voluntary standards, or if new information or manufacturing changes impact the toxicity profile of the product.

An applicant for certification will have had to conduct a minimum of acute dermal toxicity, oral toxicity and eye irritation studies on its product.  If any ingredient on the SDS is identified as a “hazardous chemical” under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, then inhalation and skin irritation and/or skin corrosion studies are required.  If a product label includes a recommendation for use in aquatic applications, then an aquatic toxicity study is required.

In 2006, EPA authorized under PR Notice 98-10 the use of a specific statement that registrants may use to recommend the use of CPDA certified adjuvants on pesticide labels.  In 2012, CPDA changed its name, and EPA confirmed that registrants using the 2006 approved recommendation statement could revise the statement on their labels solely to incorporate the new CPDA name without formal notification to the Agency.  Accordingly, the current EPA-approved recommendation statement is:

“When an adjuvant is to be used with this product, [name of the registrant of the pesticide] recommends the use of a Council of Producers & Distributors of Agrotechnology certified adjuvant.”

EPA approval of this standardized label language provides greater consistency in pesticide labeling for adjuvant use.  This language allows for clear identification of products that have been self-certified under CPDA’s program.

No, an applicant for certification will not be required to submit any information deemed Confidential Business Information (CBI) or proprietary information.  An applicant will only need to submit the product label, an SDS, and a 1-2 page summary of required toxicity studies.