Export Slaughter Intervals and Withholding Periods of chemicals

Export Slaughter Intervals

An Export Slaughter Interval (ESI) is the time that should elapse between administration of a veterinary chemical to animals and their slaughter for export. ESIs manage differences between Maximum Residue Limits allowed for chemicals in Australia and its trading partners. ESI advice is particularly important for quality assurance schemes, and especially for producers filling out the National Vendor Declaration (NVD) forms as part of the whole-of-chain management of exported product. ESIs have been agreed to by the sheepmeat industry and the registrant of the veterinary chemical.

Withholding Periods

The withholding period (WHP) is the minimum period which must elapse between last administration or application of a veterinary chemical product, including treated feed, and the slaughter, collection, harvesting or use of the animal commodity for human consumption. WHPs are mandatory for domestic slaughter and on the label of every registered product.

Veterinary chemicals

The APVMA has compiled the following ESIs and WHPs for products used in sheep and cattle. Many of these ESIs were established previously by a third party and the accuracy and validity of the values are under review. As ESIs are subject to change due to alterations in overseas requirements, and ongoing review and consultation with industry, this information is provided to ensure the latest information is available to producers and users.

Sheep - valid from 12 Sept 2008	Cattle - valid from 12 Sept 2008
Download Sheet ESI's and WHP for Sheep	Download Sheet ESI's and WHP for Cattle

Crop Chemicals - plague locust control

Chemicals used for controlling Australian plague locusts (Chortoicetes terminifera) have the potential to cause unacceptable residues in grazing livestock.

SAFEMEAT, a national industry and government partnership, has developed the following Export Slaughter Interval and Withholding Period advice - Plague Locusts, Wingless Grasshoppers and Livestock Residues - for Australian beef and sheep meat producers.

Permits for Plague Locust control

In September 2004 the APVMA issued permits (PER7574 & PER7577) to allow the use of certain synthetic pyrethroid chemicals to control the Australian plague locust .These permits cover the use of the active ingredients: Lambda-Cyhalothrin, Gamma-Cyhalothrin, Betacyfluthrin, Alpha-Cypermethrin and Cypermethrin.

Copies of the permits are available from THE APVMA permits database.

Updated 16 January 2007