Regulator's proposal to allow higher trace amounts of isocycloseram on berries

[Black Orchid]

A supermarket staple Aussies eat by the truckload could soon be doused in a chemical critics say could cause serious health problems.

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has put forward the changes for the pesticide and says there is no consumer safety concern.

Tests sponsored by isocycloseram’s manufacturer found rats that were fed high doses of the chemical showed shrunk testes, liver toxicity and birth defects in foetuses, and regulatory bodies around the world have responded by keeping human exposure much lower.

But many health advocates — as well as a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States — have pushed back against the use of the pesticide on food, arguing that the risks to children and developing foetuses were not properly accounted for.

Pediatric nutritionist Mandy Sacher, founder of the Real Food Rating, described APVMA’s proposal as “truly crazy” and said it showed the agency was “focusing on legal limits rather than the safest path forward”.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/ ... de8fff9a10

I love berries but it looks like they are going to be off my menu. We are being poisoned from pesticides and herbicides. Cancer is rampant in younger generations. We should NOT be feeding this to our kids.

[Bobby]

It's a PFAS chemical.

PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
They are a large group of man-made synthetic chemicals often called "forever chemicals"
because they do not easily break down in the environment or the human body.


https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/ ... de8fff9a10

“Isocycloseram is a PFAS pesticide – a ‘forever chemical’.
We need to be getting forever chemicals out of our food – not increasing the amounts allowed,” he said.

“This chemical is not approved in the EU or UK, and it’s subject to legal challenge in the US over risks to children and unborn babies. We should be able to trust that what we are eating is safe, especially when the ones eating the most berries are children.

“Australia was one of the first countries in the world to approve isocycloseram –
relying on safety assurances from the company that makes it and profits from selling it.

“We don’t want to be the human experiment the rest of the world learns from. We want a precautionary approach, putting Australian interests and common sense ahead of corporate profits.

“Berries are making headlines today, but isocycloseram is one of many PFAS pesticides approved for use on a range of produce in Australia.

“Given the harm to our health and environment will last multiple generations, we call on the federal government to get PFAS out of the food chain.