With over 10,000 agvet products registered for use in Australia, there are occasions when the safety of a particular chemical is questioned or discussed in the news.

The important thing to remember is a product’s safety has been determined based on it being used correctly. The simple rule is ‘always follow the safety and use directions on the label’ to minimise your exposure to the chemical product – and exposure to others.

Remember: a product’s safety has been determined based on it being used correctly – always follow the label safety and use directions.

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) applies robust scientific risk assessment during the registration process to consider the full range of risks associated with the use of a product. We also conduct chemical reviews to determine whether certain registered chemicals are still safe to use based on the latest scientific research from Australia and overseas.

When concerns are raised about a chemical, the APVMA can investigate and if necessary, take action. Agvet legislation empowers the APVMA to monitor and enforce compliance. This can include, among other things, revising the safety and use directions, conducting product recalls and in some circumstances, removing a product’s registration.