2-Phenylphenol オルトフェニルフェノール（OPP）
Also known in Japanese as OPP
Postharvest fungicides (food additives in Japan): Imazalil, thiabendazole (TBZ), ortho-phenylphenol (OPP) and others. Labeling is required at the point of sale.
In Japan
- Registration
- Its registration as a pesticide expired on February 21, 1969 (first registered January 20, 1955). It can no longer be used as a pesticide in Japan.
- 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.
In Japan's national residue testing (fiscal 2024)
| Produce | Detected / tested | Detection rate | Over the limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 0 / 527 | 0.0% | 0 |
| ImportedNo. 17 by detection rate | 12 / 341 | 3.5% | 0 |
Found in imported foods: orange (including navel orange), grapefruit (max. 2.4 ppm)
Tests are counted as pesticide × sample. Any detection counts as “detected” — it does not mean the limit was exceeded. For pesticides outside the top 20, figures are summed from the food-by-food tables of the full report.
Evaluations abroad
- WHO acute toxicity class
- III (Slightly hazardous), LD50 2480 mg/kgBased 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 (approval expires November 2027)EU ADI: 0.4 mg/kg bw/day; ARfD: —
- IARC (carcinogenicity)
- Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans)ortho-Phenylphenol: Vol. 73 (evaluated 1998) / Sodium ortho-phenylphenate: Vol. Suppl. 7, 73 (evaluated 1998)IARC classifications rate the strength of evidence that something can cause cancer, not the size of the risk at the amounts eaten in food.
Good to know
- In Japan, it is designated as a “food additive” used as a postharvest fungicide for citrus fruits. Its registration as a pesticide expired in 1969. It is not permitted as a food additive in the EU.
Related explainers
Sources
- FAMIC (Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center), pesticide registration information (as of Sept. 30, 2026) (Japanese)
- MHLW, results of pesticide residue testing in foods, fiscal 2024 (Japanese)
- WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard 2019
- EU Pesticides Database (2-Phenylphenol (incl. sodium salt orthophenyl phenol))
- IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) List of Classifications
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.