Pesticide databaseInsecticidesChecked 2026-10-01

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) BT 剤（バチルス・チューリンゲンシス）

Also known in Japanese as BT剤

Natural and microbial products (including those allowed under organic JAS)Registered in JapanAllowed under organic JASWHO IIIApproved in the EU

Natural and microbial products (including those allowed under organic JAS): BT products (proteins made by bacteria), pyrethrum extracts, machine oil, starch and others.

In Japan

Registration: Registered as a pesticide (first registered March 6, 1981). 26 formulated products contain it.
Main registered crops: vegetables, fruit trees, tea, trees, tomato, cherry tomato and others (75 crop names in the registered uses)
Toxicity class: Active ingredient: -
Classes of the 26 formulated products (diluted products sold): not classified 24, ordinary substance 2
Classes under Japan's Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Act.
ADI (acceptable daily intake): No risk assessment report by the Food Safety Commission of Japan was found

ADI: the amount considered to have no effect on health even if eaten every day for a lifetime. ARfD: the amount considered to have no effect on health when eaten at one time (within 24 hours). Both are set by the Food Safety Commission of Japan, mainly from animal studies.

Evaluations abroad

WHO acute toxicity class: III (Slightly hazardous), LD50 >4000 mg/kg
Based on the toxicity of the undiluted active ingredient given once, mainly to rats by mouth (LD50 = the dose that kills half; the smaller, the stronger the acute toxicity). It is not an assessment of the safety of residues in food.
EU: Approved in the EU
In the EU, it is reviewed strain by strain. Of the 10 strains in the register, 8 are approved and 2 are under review.
IARC (carcinogenicity): No matching entry in the IARC list (not evaluated or out of scope, including Group 3)

Good to know

An insecticide that uses a bacterium (Bacillus thuringiensis). BT products that use the microorganism itself can be used under organic JAS as “natural enemies and other biological pesticides” (excluding products in which a substance made by the microorganism is extracted and purified).

Related explainers

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-01. Registrations and evaluations change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.

Pesticides registered in Japan are approved by the government with set crops, amounts, numbers of applications and days before harvest. This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies; it does not judge whether anything is good or bad.

Other Natural and microbial products (including those allowed under organic JAS)

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