Texas Border Business
AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a settlement with Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (“Sprouts”) that ensures none of its produce will be misted with the synthetic antimicrobial pesticide, ProduceMaxx. This agreement will be effective in all Sprouts locations nationwide.
This settlement follows an investigation into grocery stores across Texas, which was announced by Attorney General Paxton in January 2026. The investigation was launched following concerns that synthetic pesticides such as ProduceMaxx were being misted on organic produce. ProduceMaxx is an EPA-registered antimicrobial pesticide containing hypochlorous acid, a chlorine-based compound. Thousands of grocery stores across the United States have engaged in off-label use of ProduceMaxx in produce misting systems to allegedly control bacteria and extend shelf life. ProduceMaxx was additionally being used to treat organic produce by other means such as washing and “crisping,” unbeknownst to consumers.
Now, under the settlement, Sprouts has agreed to stop spraying ProduceMaxx on all produce, including conventional non-organic produce, nationwide. Additionally, Sprouts will cease use—misting or otherwise—of ProduceMaxx or any other synthetic antimicrobial pesticide on all organic produce nationwide. The agreement will take effect within 90 days.
“My office has now added Sprouts to the list of grocery stores that we have forced to stop secretly misting organic produce with synthetic pesticides,” said Attorney General Paxton. “I will continue to protect consumers and ensure transparency, so that Texans can trust that they are buying clean products.”
Previously, Attorney General Paxton secured a settlement with all Albertsons-owned grocery stores across the entire state of Texas. That settlement has stopped them from using ProduceMaxx or any other synthetic antimicrobial pesticide in misting systems on organic produce. It also requires employees to complete a potable water rinse on all organic produce after any other ProduceMaxx treatment.
To read the AVC, click here.
