A proposal to allow a 500-fold increase in permitted residue levels of the chemical isocycloseram on berries sold in Australia has sparked criticism from health and consumer advocates, who argue the public is effectively being used as guinea pigs for a substance with limited long-term safety data. Isocycloseram, sometimes grouped with so-called "forever chemicals" due to its environmental persistence, is used in agriculture as a pesticide, and any change to its permitted limits would directly affect what residue levels are legally allowed on fruit reaching supermarket shelves. Critics say the scale of the proposed increase raises serious questions about how such decisions are made and whose interests they serve.

Details of the specific regulatory process are limited, but the push centres on dramatically raising the maximum allowable residue of isocycloseram found on berries, a change campaigners say could expose consumers to significantly higher chemical exposure with insufficient independent scrutiny. One critic quoted in the piece questioned "why are we the human experiment?", reflecting broader unease about the adequacy of testing and oversight for chemicals used in food production. The controversy taps into wider public concern in Australia and elsewhere about "forever chemicals" and the transparency of pesticide approval processes.