A Winnipeg woman, who believes she’s created a safe and natural bug spray, says Health Canada is forcing her to pull the product from her shelves pending a long and costly review process.
Manitoba Mist is a summer staple at Louise May’s Aurora Farm.
May says the product contains filtered water, witch hazel, and a mixture of organic essential oils, including: eucalyptus, citronella, tea tree, lemongrass, rosemary and lavender.
Louise May calls her product all-natural. It contains citronella, which was once banned by Health Canada, before that decision was overturned.
"We got a letter from Health Canada saying that we couldn't sell or produce our bug spray that we call Manitoba Mist," said May.
Health Canada says the product meets the definition of a pest control product.
In an email statement, it said Manitoba Mist must be registered as a pesticide with the government agency, “or (be) otherwise authorized under the Pest Control Products Act.”
That means Manitoba Mist is subject to a strict, science-based assessment to ensure it meets health and environmental standards, and doesn’t pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment.
May said the process is too costly, “I’ve been quoted $180,000 minimum by a Health Canada official.”
It could also take several years to fully complete.
Louise May has now posted the recipe online. She said all ingredients can be found at natural food and health stores, including at her farm.
