Sales of Insecticide Chalk Ordered Halted

The Environmental Protection Agency ordered a Pomona-based distributor to quit selling a Chinese-made insecticide chalk that some children have mistakenly eaten. The EPA directed Pretty Baby Co. to halt sales of the unregistered product, which it has actively marketed on the Internet and in newspaper ads. Meanwhile, the state’s Department of Pesticide Regulation and Department of Health Services warned consumers against using such products, which are illegal. “These products are deceptively dangerous. Children could easily mistake them for common household chalk,” said state health officer James Stratton. The insecticide has been sold under various trade names, including Pretty Baby Chalk, Chinese Chalk and Miraculous Insecticide Chalk.