Magazine - 'Amistar' use revoked

By Dave Saltman in General News on 28th Jun 2003 0:00

Chemical use revoked

By Dave Saltman

At the beginning of this year serious issues arose as a result of the agricultural product 'Amistar' being actively sold into the UK turf and amenity market by certain agricultural dealers.

There followed a period of consultations resulting in the Pesticide Safety Directorate (PSD) stating "the 'Amistar' off-label approval should not have been issued." PSD have apologised for the error.

As a direct consequence, PSD have issued a Notice of Revocation, which immediately revokes the approval for the use of Amistar on managed amenity turf. A copy of this Revocation Notice is at the bottom of this article.

This Revocation Notice was formally issued on the 20^th June 2003 and there is no use-up period for any Amistar stocks currently in the managed amenity turf market. Thus from this date, all usage of Amistar on managed amenity turf is illegal.

The good news is that the Scotts Co. 'Heritage' label is legally available for use, to replace any field stocks of 'Amistar', enabling Groundsmen and Greenkeepers to abide by the law.

PSD have further confirmed that the formal on-label application to add Take-All to the Heritage label should be completed by the agency target date of September 2003. In the meantime Heritage can legally be used to treat Take-All but at the users commercial risk until the on-label approval is given.

FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION ACT 1985

CONTROL OF PESTICIDES REGULATIONS 1986: Notice of revocation (off-label)

In exercise of the powers conferred by the Regulation 5 of the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 (SI 1986/1510) and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, the Minster of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State acting jointly, hereby:

Revoke, with immediate effect, approval for the off-label use of the

Named product on the crops shown in respect of the Notice of

Approval Number detailed below;

Date of issue: 20 June 2003

ALL OTHER CONDITIONS OF THE APPROVAL REMAIN UNCHANGED

SCHEDULE

Product Name	MAPP Number	Revoked Notice of Approval Number	Crops/Uses:	Notice of Revocation Number
Amistar	10443	0406 of 2003	Managed amenity turf	1392 of 2003

RACHEL LAITHWAITE

For the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and rural Affairs .

EXPLANATORY NOTES

This revocation Notice has been issued following the approval of the above use as an on-label recommendation for MAPP 11383.

This Notice of Revocation is number 1392 of 2003 and will be published in The Pesticides Register.

Read more articles in General News, by Dave Saltman or from June 2003.