Ken Paxton
AUSTIN — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a settlement with Sprouts Farmers Market that ensures none of its produce will be misted with the synthetic antimicrobial pesticide, ProduceMaxx.
Court records show that on Dec. 2, 2025, the state issued a Civil Investigative Demand concerning deceptive actions regarding use of synthetic antimicrobial pesticides.
“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 Paxton. “I will continue to protect consumers and ensure transparency, so that Texans can trust that they are buying clean products.”
According to the Office of the Attorney General, the agreement will be effective in all Sprouts locations nationwide.
The settlement follows an investigation into grocery stores across Texas, which was announced by Paxton in January of this year. 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, according to the OAG.
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.
Previously, Paxton secured a settlement with all Albertsons-owned grocery stores across the entire state of Texas.
That settlement has stopped the grocer 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.
