Thiabendazole チアベンダゾール（TBZ）
Also known in Japanese as TBZ
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 November 27, 2006 (first registered June 30, 1972). It can no longer be used as a pesticide in Japan.
- ADI (acceptable daily intake)
- 0.1 mg per kg of body weight per day
- ARfD (acute reference dose)
- not evaluated
- Evaluation
- Food Safety Commission of Japan, December 10, 2014
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 / 1,679 | 0.0% | 0 |
| ImportedNo. 3 by detection rate | 184 / 1,432 | 12.8% | 0 |
Found in imported foods: other citrus fruits, orange (including navel orange), grapefruit, banana, blueberry, mango, melons (fruit), lime, lemon (max. 9 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 3330 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 March 2032)EU ADI: 0.1 mg/kg bw/day; ARfD: 0.1 mg/kg bw
- IARC (carcinogenicity)
- No matching entry in the IARC list (not evaluated or out of scope, including Group 3)
Good to know
- In Japan, it is designated as a “food additive” used as a postharvest fungicide for citrus fruits and bananas. Its registration as a pesticide (fungicide) expired in 2006.
Related explainers
Sources
- FAMIC (Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center), pesticide registration information (as of Sept. 30, 2026) (Japanese)
- Food Safety Commission of Japan, risk assessment report on Thiabendazole (December 10, 2014) (Japanese)
- MHLW, results of pesticide residue testing in foods, fiscal 2024 (Japanese)
- WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard 2019
- EU Pesticides Database (Thiabendazole)
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.