Thiobendazole is a fungicide used to protect fruit — particularly bananas and citrus — against moulds and rots during storage and transport. Applied as a post-harvest dip, spray, or wax-coating additive, it controls storage diseases such as anthracnose and stem-end rot that would otherwise destroy fruit on its long journey from tropical farms to distant markets. It belongs to the benzimidazole family and works by disrupting fungal cell division. Residues on fruit are regulated by maximum residue limits set by food safety authorities, and approved uses are considered safe at those levels. The same compound has medical and veterinary uses against parasitic worms, under the name thiabendazole.