Regulatory update #144

Continued suspension of Carbendazim products announced

The APVMA has renewed the suspension of the label approvals of products containing carbendazim that pre-date the January 2010 suspension of labels. The suspensions are in effect from 21 February 2012 until 25 January 2013 or until the APVMA revokes this suspension. There are seven products that have currently approved labels that do not require suspension as they already comply with the suspension instructions.

We’d like to change the format of the APVMA Gazette…is this OK with you?

From 27 March, the APVMA wants to align itself with the practices of other Government departments that publish Gazette notices. We’d like to provide the APVMA Gazette to you as a single document, rather than splitting the Gazette up into individual notices as we’ve done in the past. We believe that providing the Gazette as one single document will be a more efficient way for us to deliver the notices to you and will make it easier for you to access information. The contents page of the single document Gazette will be hyperlinked to all the notices it contains, and you will be able to navigate around the document freely. Before we start publishing the Gazette as a single document, we want to ask you the following questions:

• Would you have any issues accessing the information you seek if we moved to providing the gazette as a single document?
• Which gazette format do you prefer of the ones we currently provide: PDF, RTF, or would you prefer HTML?

Your answers and any other comments on this issue should be emailed to communications@apvma.gov.au by 5 pm (Canberra time) Monday 26 March.

For further information contact:

Susan Whitbread
Manager
Public Affairs
Phone: 02 6210 4812

New search function on the PUBCRIS chemical registration database

A new search field entitled ‘Other Label Declared Constituents’ has now been added to the Public Chemical Registration Information System (PUBCRIS) website database search facility. The search results screen now separates the active constituents from other label declared constituents and this has been applied to the product summary details for the constituent details. Any enquiries about the new field can be forwarded to registration@apvma.gov.au.

Call for submissions on draft nutrition, health and related claims standard

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has released a Call for submissions on draft nutrition, health and related claims standard (external site). This proposed new standard would regulate voluntary statements made by manufacturers on labels about the nutrition content of a food, or a relationship between a food and health. FSANZ welcomes comments from government agencies, public health professionals, industry and the community on the draft standard by 16 March 2012.

Registration for WA chemical collection closes 9 March

Western Australian agvet chemical users are invited to take part in the upcoming ChemClear collection. Locals have the opportunity to dispose of any old, obsolete or inherited products by calling or logging onto the ChemClear website to register by 9 March 2012.

All chemicals registered with ChemClear are classified into two categories. Group one chemicals are currently-registered products from participating manufacturers to the Industry Waste Reduction Scheme; these chemicals are accepted free of charge. Group two classification involves chemicals that are historic, unknown, unlabelled, de-registered or are non-participating manufacturers’ products; these chemicals incur a per-litre fee for disposal.

For further information on the upcoming WA collection, call 1800 008 182 or visit the ChemClear website.

Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) tables for February

The Maximum Residue Limits Standard tables for agricultural and veterinary chemicals in food and animal feedstuff have been updated for February 2012.

Reminder—open for public consultation

The APVMA is currently seeking comment on:

• We're listening: a new communication and consultation policy for the APVMA until 6 March 2012 (subject to change)
• the Proposal to Amend Standard 1.4.2 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code until 13 March 2012
• Pyrimethanil in the product Philabuster 400 SC Janssen Fungicide Suspension Concentrate until 19 March 2012
• the Proposal to amend the format of the APVMA Gazette until 26 March 2012
• the Proposed registration of the new active saflufenacil in the product Sharpen WG Herbicide until 27 March 2012

Applications

Advice Summaries published since last issue are listed below. For a complete list and further information, please refer to the Advice Summaries content on our website.

• Excede Sterile Suspension
• David Grays Tomato Dust 3 in 1
• Ecopar Forte Herbicide
• Starbunch Banana Bags
• AW Derail 275 EC Herbicide
• AW Vindicate 125 SC Fungicide
• Mortein Naturgard Automatic Indoor Insect Control System Adjustable

Application Summaries are updated weekly. For a complete list, please refer to the Application Summaries content on our website.