"All Bt products, including Foray and DiPel, are
produced in a similar fashion. The Btk is grown in large
enclosed fermentation tanks. Foray and DiPel are produced
using ingredients and a technology which are similar to those used
to make beer or spirits. During fermentation, the bacteria (Btk)
reproduce in a pre-sterilized growth medium containing basic food
sources, such as corn, potatoes, grains, etc. After the
fermentation process is complete and the bacteria are grown, the
fermentation material, including the Btk, is collected. This
material becomes the basic ingredient of Foray and DiPel.
This basic ingredient is composed of the Btk, which
is the active ingredient, and the residual fermentation growth
material and water. The water and residual fermentation growth
material referred to as "inerts" or inactive because they are not
"active" against insects. Several other inerts are added to
this fermentation material, Btk and water, to make up the final
formulations of Foray and DiPel. These other ingredients
comprise a small proportion of the total formulation. In fact,
nearly 90% of Foray 48B for example is composed of water, the
residual fermentation growth material, and the Btk (and one other
inert which is a food-approved carbohydrate).
The other inactive or inert ingredients are added to
maintain the quality of the Btk formulation, to make it easier to
handle, and to protect the activity of the Btk. Some of these
ingredients help ensure the microbial quality of Foray and DiPel by
acting to control the level of possible contaminating natural
micro-organisms. These ingredients, added in very minor
amounts to control contaminating bacteria and molds, are also
used in many foods in Canada and the U.S. for the same purpose.
All inert ingredients in Foray and DiPel
formulations are included in 40 CFR 180.1001. This list has
been designated by the US EPA as "exempt from the requirements of a
residue tolerance on raw agricultural commodities." Valent
verifies that none of its Btk formulations contain toxic inert
ingredients, such as benzene, xylene, or formaldehyde.
Additionally, and of considerable importance, not
just the Btk powder itself, but our final end-use formulations are
tested toxicologically. In this process the safety of both the
active ingredient and inerts are assessed and quantified."
