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You are here: NPIC Home Page Pesticide Ingredients Active Ingredients Capsaicin

Capsaicin is a natural chemical isolated from red peppers. It is most often found in animal repellents but some products kill mites and insects or keep them from feeding on plants. Capsaicin can be very irritating to the eyes and skin. However, many people around the world enjoy using capsaicin as a spice in cooking. Birds do not detect capsaicin and can eat the peppers without harm.

General Questions about Capsaicin

What is capsaicin? What are some products that contain capsaicin? How does capsaicin work? How might I be exposed to capsaicin? What are some signs and symptoms from a brief exposure to capsaicin? What happens to capsaicin when it enter the body? Is capsaicin likely to contribute to the development of cancer? Has anyone studied non-cancer effects from long-term exposure to capsaicin? Are children more sensitive to capsaicin than adults? What happens to capsaicin in the environment? Can capsaicin affect birds, fish, and other wildlife?

General Fact Sheet

How can I wash pesticides from fruit and veggies? Q & A

How can I wash pesticides from fruit and veggies? Podcast (1:41 min., 1.54MB)

If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email at npic@ace.orst.edu.

Related Topics:

What are pests?

What are pesticides?

Please read our disclaimer | Contact us | About NPIC | En español

NPIC provides objective, science-based information about pesticides and pesticide-related topics to enable people to make informed decisions. NPIC is a cooperative agreement between Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (cooperative agreement #X8-83947901). The information in this publication does not in any way replace or supersede the restrictions, precautions, directions, or other information on the pesticide label or any other regulatory requirements, nor does it necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. EPA.