Overview
- The ruling mandates at least 14 days between dimethoate application and harvest, replacing prior one-day and seven-day intervals for different berries.
- APVMA assessments found children aged two to six could exceed the acute reference dose if treated berries were picked within a week or less.
- The regulator says the change restores a safety buffer and that berries remain safe to eat under the updated instructions.
- Manufacturers have until November 2026 to update product labels or remove berry uses, with non‑updated registrations to be cancelled.
- Berries Australia accepted the decision but warned the longer wait curtails a key defence against Queensland fruit fly and could increase production costs; the EU banned dimethoate in 2019 and the US EPA classifies it as a possible human carcinogen.