All active ingredient release times comply
with pre-harvest
intervals established by the U.S.
EPA
MONTREAL, Jan. 25, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Imaflex Inc.
("Imaflex" or the "Corporation") (TSXV: IFX), announces positive
independent results for the ADVASEAL® Release Study
(the "Study"). The release times of all five crop protection
products ("active ingredients" or "TGAI"1) coated on
ADVASEAL® are in compliance with the pre-harvest
intervals established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA).
"These conclusive results bring us one step closer to the
potential commercialization of ADVASEAL® as a
viable pre-plant soil fumigation alternative," said Mr.
Joe Abbandonato, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Imaflex. As a reminder, the Study was
required to determine the exact timing each active ingredient
coated on ADVASEAL® is released into the
soil. This is needed to show compliance with the pre-harvest
intervals established by the EPA, which is essentially the wait
period required between the last application (release) of an active
ingredient and when a crop can be harvested for safe human
consumption.
The Study included two soil bed moisture levels at time of
ADVASEAL's® application and two independent drip
irrigation frequencies. More specifically, initial soil bed
moisture levels at application were set at either 75% or 100% soil
capacity, while irrigation intervals after applying the film were
either once (day eight) or twice (day eight and fifteen).
Regardless of treatment used, the release times of all active
ingredients were found to be in compliance with permitted
pre-harvest intervals.
"Imaflex has one remaining step before submitting the
registration package for EPA approval of
ADVASEAL® as a new physical pesticide formulation,"
said Mr. Abbandonato. Four of the five active ingredients
used on ADVASEAL® come from Asia and are not yet registered in the
U.S.A. To simplify their registration as generic pesticides
Imaflex has mandated a lab to prove their equivalence with TGAIs
already registered and marketed in the U.S.A. More specifically, the EPA needs
information on the purity and impurities of the active ingredients
being used by Imaflex in order to assess whether their impurities
and toxicological profiles are similar to those already
registered. This includes using analytical reference
standards for all impurities to allow for accurate calibration
(quantification) as most analytical instrumentation is
comparative. As reference standards for the impurities
associated with two of the generic active ingredients are not
commercially available, some additional lab work is required and
submission of the ADVASEAL® and generic TGAI
registration package is now targeted for around summer
2021.
"Going forward, holding our own TGAI registration should provide
Imaflex with greater autonomy as we commercialize
ADVASEAL®, while also making us less reliant on a
particular supplier," highlighted Mr. Abbandonato. "Bringing
new innovative products to market is often not without its
challenges and although the EPA submission is delayed, the benefits
of having our own TGAI registration justify the extra time
required. We are encouraged by the important milestones we
have achieved over the past year with ADVASEAL® and
we look forward to reporting on our continued progress."
About ADVASEAL®
Today, agricultural films are used in the growing of vegetables
worldwide to cover soil treated with fumigants – volatile and toxic
pesticides essential for reducing pests, weeds and fungi in the
soil, thus supporting good growth of new crop seedlings.
The original EPA approved ADVASEAL®
(ADVASEAL® HSM), contained only a herbicide for weed
control. The new enhanced ADVASEAL® (also called
"ADVASEAL HG") under development also includes fungicides and
a nematicide to control soil borne pathogens, thus becoming a
complete non-fumigant alternative for soil disinfestation.
With ADVASEAL®, modern non-volatile crop protection
products can be applied more effectively and safely than with
fumigants. The crop protection products are incorporated into
a coating, which is then applied to a mulch film. Once the
coated film is applied to the ground, the active ingredients are
released into the soil under controlled conditions, preventing the
over/under-dosing found with current soil disinfestation
practices. This new technology dramatically reduces the
amount of crop protection products required. The catalyst to
trigger the release of the active ingredients is soil
moisture. When the film is applied to the soil, they are
efficiently and safely discharged into the ground, resulting in
heightened productivity, lower costs and notable environmental
benefits.
About Imaflex Inc.
Founded in 1994, Imaflex is focused on the development and
manufacturing of innovative solutions for the flexible packaging
space. Concurrently, the Corporation develops and
manufactures films for the agriculture industry. The
Corporation's products consist primarily of polyethylene (plastic)
film and bags, including metalized plastic film, for the
industrial, agricultural and consumer markets.
Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec,
Imaflex has manufacturing facilities in Canada and the United States. The
Corporation's common stock is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange
under the ticker symbol IFX. Additional information is
available at www.imaflex.com.
Cautionary Statement on Forward Looking Information
Certain information included in this press release
constitutes "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of
Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are
necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that,
while considered reasonable by the management of the Corporation,
are inherently subject to significant business, economic and
competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies. The
Corporation cautions the reader that such forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors that may cause the actual financial results, performance or
achievements of Imaflex to be materially different from the
Corporation's estimated future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements and that
the forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
performance. These statements are also based on certain
factors and assumptions. For more details on these estimates,
risks, assumptions and factors, see the Corporation's most recent
Management Discussion and Analysis filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com
and on the investor section of the Corporation's website at
www.imaflex.com. The Corporation disclaims any obligation to
update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, events or otherwise, except as expressly
required by law. Readers are cautioned not to put undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
1 A technical grade active
ingredient ("TGAI") is used for the manufacturing of
pesticide end-use products and contains, in addition to the pure
active ingredient, minor amounts of impurities.
SOURCE Imaflex Inc.