We’re writing to let you know that on 31 October 2012, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) issued new instructions that restrict the use of fenthion on a number of food crops, and prohibits use on all food-producing plants in the home garden due to potential short term dietary risks.

The announcement follows the release of the 2012 Fenthion Residues and Dietary Risk Assessment Report in September which found that its use on many crops could exceed the recommended public health standard.

New label instructions reduce the amount of fenthion that can be used on some crops, and prohibit its use on specific fruits and vegetables, which mitigates the potential health risks identified in the residues report. The new instructions also prohibit the use of fenthion on all food-producing plants grown in the home garden.

The new use instructions will be in place for 12 months while the environment and occupational health and safety components of the fenthion review are completed.

See the list of suspended and allowed uses and frequently asked questions on this action. More information is also available on the fenthion review webpage.

Please download a copy of the relevant permit before any use of fenthion on food producing plants (permits PER13840 (WA), PER13841 (SA, VIC, TAS, NSW, ACT, QLD and NT and PER 13843 (Home garden products all States)) can all be viewed and downloaded from the fenthion review page.

If this information is of interest to others in your organisation or industry, you are welcome to reproduce the Media release or FAQs in your own newsletters or communications, or simply to link to our fenthion review page website.

See also the Gazette notice: Suspension of Certain Products Containing Fenthion, Suspension of Associated Label Approvals and Cancellation of Previous Label Approvals (page 11) – 31 October 2012.

If this information is of interest to others in your organisation or industry, you are welcome to reproduce the media release or FAQs in your own newsletters or communications, or simply to link to our website content.

If you have any questions about the proposed action, please contact us by phone: +61 2 6210 4749 or email: chemicalreview@apvma.gov.au.

If you are not the right contact for your organisation, please emailcontact@apvma.gov.au.
 
Chemical Review Team
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA)
PO Box 6182 Kingston ACT 2604

P: +61 2 6210 4749 | F: +61 2 6210 4776  
chemicalreview@apvma.gov.au | www.apvma.gov.au

As you may be aware, the chemical fenthion has been under review by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) for a number of years.

We are writing to advise that the APVMA has today released the 2012 Fenthion Residues and Dietary Risk Assessment Report as part of its review process.

The assessment concludes that exposures to chemical residues remaining on certain treated produce are above the relevant health standard.  Therefore, the APVMA proposes to suspend certain fenthion products as an interim regulatory action while it completes further assessments on the chemical.

The APVMA has already taken the first step toward a possible suspension by asking the fenthion product registrant to ‘show cause’ as to why the proposed action should not be taken.

The APVMA also seeks information or data from users of fenthion that would change the outcome of the dietary risk assessment. Submissions can be emailed, faxed or posted to the details listed below by 25 September 2012.

If regulatory action, such as suspension is to be taken, the APVMA will specify restrictions on use and provide related information to all stakeholders.

Permit applications for uses to replace fenthion will be given priority by the APVMA so that, as far as possible, approvals are in place by the time the suspension action is taken.

Information on the fenthion uses proposed for suspension, alternatives to fenthion and frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the proposal are available on the fenthion review webpage.

If this information is of interest to others in your organisation or industry, you are welcome to reproduce the media release or FAQs in your own newsletters or communications, or simply to link to our website content.

If you have any questions about the proposed action, please contact us by phone: +61 2 6210 4749 or email: chemicalreview@apvma.gov.au.

If you are not the right contact for your organisation, please emailcontact@apvma.gov.au.
 
Chemical Review Team
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA)
PO Box 6182 Kingston ACT 2604

P: +61 2 6210 4749 | F: +61 2 6210 4776  
chemicalreview@apvma.gov.au | www.apvma.gov.au