Daily London
Australia’s pesticide regulator has flagged fresh health concerns for young children over a chemical sprayed on berries.
With their high nutritional content, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries have become a favourite for families as part of healthier diets.
But the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) says existing regulations over using dimethoate – an insecticide widely used to stop berries being spoiled by fruit fly – need strengthening to keep people safe.
In a decision announced this week, the national watchdog said children aged between two and six years old who ate berries treated with dimethoate within seven days or less of harvest risked exposure of the chemical beyond safe limits.
The APVMA ruled fruit growers must now wait at least 14 days after applying the pesticide before harvesting to give it more time to degrade.
It said existing label directions needed altering to ensure dimethoate’s use on berries did not present “an undue hazard to people”.
Until now, growers had to wait one day after spraying blueberries and seven days following the treatment of raspberries and blackberries.
Earlier this year, the APVMA began reviewing potential health hazards from dimethoate amid the growing popularity of berries.
Data from Food Standards Australia and New Zealand showed Australians’ consumption of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries has jumped since the last review of the pesticide in 2017.
Health concerns over dimethoate resulted in European Union countries banning the chemical in 2019.
Industry body Berries Australia told 9news.com.au that figures it collected over the past five years showed dimethoate usage had fallen.
