Pesticides threaten food supply chain, bans threaten Aust. growers

24 Nov 2010

Source:  Sydney Morning Herald
The federal government has promised to work closely with Australian fruit growers amid the likely withdrawal of two popular insecticides.

Officials have long been reviewing the chemicals dimethoate and fenthion - commonly used to combat fruit fly - to determine whether they pose a risk to humans.

Australia's pesticides authority has still not banned them, but in a ministerial statement released on Thursday the government indicated that could well be the case.

"Early analysis suggests that some uses will not meet safe limits and are likely to be withdrawn," the statement reads.
It has the potential to affect Australia's entire fresh-food supply chain, both domestically and the export market to New Zealand and some Pacific islands. There are no alternative chemicals able to be used in the fruit quarantine process.

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