Australian Herb and Spice Industry Association Limited Conference
19 February 2004

The APVMA was invited to attend a conference convened by the Australian Herb and Spice Industry Association Limited (AHSIA) formerly known as the Culinary Herb Growers Association at the National Centre for Greenhouse Horticulture, Gosford Horticultural Institute, Thursday 19 February 2004.

The conference was attended by the following people:

Jane Parker, Tropico Gourmet Garden Herb & Spice Blends
Robert Hayes, Fresh Herbzest Culinary Herbs
Jill Stone, Secretary AHSIA and herb grower
Len Tesoriero, Plant Protection Officer, NSW Agriculture
Stephen Goodwin, Senior Research Scientist, NSW Agriculture
Marilyn Steiner, Entomologist (Vegetables), NSW Agriculture
Peter Deuter, Queensland Department of Primary Industries
Ranjit Gajanayake, APVMA
Simon Christen, APVMA

Major growers and processors have formed a new industry association to be known as the Australian Herb and Spice Industry Association Limited (AHSIA). The principal purpose of the conference was to implement national strategies for the industry to gain continued access to chemicals for their current and future needs, which ensure they meet public health and safety standards and do not impede potential export trade. For export markets where Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) or tolerances are either not established or recognised the industry agreed that trials should be conducted to depletion of the residue (where practical to implement) to provide the industry with information on use practices (ie. WHP's) that may be required to access certain markets.

As a minor chemical use industry, access to chemicals has been via off-label Minor Use Permits issued by the APVMA dating back to 1998. Many of these permits are due to expire (or have recently expired) and are currently being assessed for renewal by the APVMA.

Simon Christen (APVMA) delivered a presentation on the regulatory requirements concerning chemical use for minor uses, with particular relevance to the herb and spice industry. There was much open discussion and many questions during the presentation which provided the industry a better understanding and appreciation of existing regulatory requirements, the permit approval process and aspects of residues in food commodities when trading treated produce overseas. The conference also provided APVMA staff a better understanding of the industry, including an appreciation of the issues confronting minor industry groups with chemical access when there are few or no registered use-patterns available.

The following topics were discussed:

• An update of the chemicals available under permit, including those currently under consideration by the APVMA for renewal, outstanding data requirements (especially residues). etc.,
• Future chemical needs for the herb industry,
• Designing and implementing trials for chemical residue determination,
• Progression of permit approval to product registration,
• Extrapolations and crop grouping used by the APVMA when establishing a MRL,
• Diverse nature of herbs encountered (and which are grown for different purposes),
• Management of trade risk with respect to residues in treated produce, and
• Consideration of import tolerances for gaining access to overseas markets.

Further discussion focused on the implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies and key processors for the growers. The industry acknowledged that the use of chemicals need to be considered in context of their IPM "friendliness", ie minimal detriment to beneficial insects etc.

The conference was considered a great benefit for both the APVMA and the AHSIA. It has established communication links between the two organisations to progress existing and future chemical priorities for the herb and spice industry through the regulatory mechanisms, with a long term view of having chemical uses considered for on-label registration.

For further details please contact Simon Christen on Ph: 02-6272 4956 or via email simon.christen@apvma.gov.au

NOTE: as mentioned above many Minor Use Permits issued to the Australian Herb and Spice Industry Association are currently undergoing assessment by the APVMA. The APVMA will in future editions of Minor Use News provide updates on the progress of these assessments via the provision of a consolidated list of permits issued to the AHSIA.