APVMA serves caution to Serve-Ag over unregistered chemicals

"Serve-Ag marketed a herbicide adjuvant it had developed prior to seeking registration with the APVMA. It also supplied a herbicide outside the terms of a research permit," said APVNA spokesman, Neville Matthew.

The breaches were detected through the APVMA’s regime of enhanced compliance monitoring.

"Under this regime, a supplier anywhere in Australia could be visited by APVMA staff," Mr Matthew said.

"The registration process is designed to ensure that only chemicals whose safety has been assured are permitted onto the Australian market."

Supplying unregistered agricultural and veterinary chemical products is an offence, punishable by significant fines - $165,000 for a company and individuals $33,000 - and the APVMA has wide powers to recall, prevent supply, seize or dispose of unregistered chemicals.

"In this particular situation a caution was appropriate as the company had an unblemished record and quickly sought to return to compliance," Mr Matthew said.

Consumers can check the status of products via the APVMA website at no cost through the PUBCRIS database.

Anybody with information about the sale of unregistered agricultural chemicals or veterinary medicines can call the APVMA Compliance Hotline 1300 700 315 Monday to Friday during normal office hours.