Ask the supplier for a written list of its registrations, then check each one in the public register of that country. Most major regulators publish searchable databases of registered products and, in some cases, of approved sources.
A registration you can find, with matching product, company and status, is evidence. A claim you cannot find is only a claim. Treat it that way until the supplier shows you the certificate and you can verify it.
What to ask the supplier for
- The supplier should give you a list of countries where the product is registered, with the registration number in each.
- The list should name the registration holder in each country, since this is often a local distributor rather than the factory.
- Each entry should state whether the factory is named as the source of the technical, the formulation, or both.
- Each entry should give the date of approval and the current status: active, expired, withdrawn or under review.
- The supplier should provide copies of certificates, or letters from holders confirming the source.
Where to check
These public sources are a good starting point. Names and search tools change, so look for the regulator's current register.
- In India, the CIB&RC section of the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage website publishes registration lists and Registration Committee minutes. See what CIB&RC is.
- In the European Union, the EU Pesticides Database shows whether an active substance is approved. Product authorisations are granted by each member state, so check national registers for products.
- In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency publishes registered products and their labels through its pesticide product and label system.
- In Australia, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority publishes a public register of products and approved actives.
- Many other regulators, including those in Brazil and Canada, publish product or label databases.
What a match tells you, and what it does not
A registration in a demanding market shows that a regulator accepted the supplier's data at one point in time. It does not prove that today's product, from today's process, still matches that data. Processes and raw material sources change.
Watch for common gaps. The registration may belong to a different site of the same group. It may cover a formulation made from someone else's technical. It may have expired or been withdrawn. Or the holder may be a trader who has since changed source.
Where a register names the source of the technical, check that it names the factory in front of you, at the same address. Where it does not, ask the holder for a letter confirming the source.
Combine the paper check with a site check
Registration history is one part of supplier checks, alongside a factory audit, a five-batch analysis and independent testing. Our guide to what a factory audit should contain sets out the site side.
Next step
We check a supplier's registration claims against public records and audit the site that will make your product. Book a free sourcing review to verify a shortlist.