25 November 2008
ISBN: 978-1-100-11030-1 (978-1-100-11031-8)
Cat. No.: H113-24/2008-49E (H113-24/2008-49E-PDF)

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Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has concluded that the addition of a new use pattern on potatoes to the product label of Actara 240SC Insecticide, containing technical grade thiamethoxam, is acceptable. The specific use approved in Canada is detailed on the label of Actara 240SC Insecticide, Pest Control Products Act Registration Number 28407.

The evaluation of this thiamethoxam application indicated that the end-use product has merit and value and that the human health and environmental risks associated with the new use are acceptable. Details regarding the registration can be found in the corresponding Evaluation Report that is available on the PMRA website, under Public Registry, Product Information, Current Applications.¹

Before registering a pesticide for food use in Canada, the PMRA must determine the quantity of residues that are likely to remain in or on the food when the pesticide is used according to label directions and that such residues will not be a concern to human health. This quantity is then legally established as a maximum residue limit (MRL). An MRL applies to the identified raw agricultural food commodity as well as to any processed food product that contains it, except where separate MRLs are specified for the raw agricultural commodity and a processed product made from it.

Consultation on the proposed MRLs for thiamethoxam is being conducted via this document (see Next Steps).

To comply with Canada's international trade obligations, consultation on the proposed MRLs is also being conducted internationally by notifying the World Trade Organization, as coordinated by the Standards Council of Canada.

The proposed MRLs for thiamethoxam in Canada in or on food, to replace the corresponding MRLs already legally established, are as follows.

* Proposed to replace the established MRL of 0.04 for potato, chips to accommodate the new use pattern
** Proposed to replace the established MRL of 0.03 for potatoes to accommodate the new use pattern

A complete list of all MRLs established in Canada can be found on the PMRA's MRL webpage.

International Situation and Trade Implications

MRLs may vary from one country to another for a number of reasons, including differences in pesticide use patterns and the locations of the crop field trials used to generate residue chemistry data. As per Table 2, the proposed MRLs in Canada differs from the corresponding tolerances established in the United States (tolerances listed in  40 CFR Part 180 by pesticide). Currently, Codex MRLs² have not been established for thiamethoxam on any commodity ( Codex MRLs searchable by pesticide or commodity).

* Covered by the tolerance for potatoes, the raw agricultural commodity, in the absence of a distinct tolerance for the processed commodity.

Next Steps

The PMRA invites the public to submit written comments on the proposed MRLs for thiamethoxam up to 75 days from the date of publication of this document. Please forward your comments to Publications (see the contact information on the cover page of this document). The PMRA will consider all comments received before making a final decision on the proposed MRLs for thiamethoxam and posting a corresponding Established Maximum Residue Limit (EMRL) document on the PMRA website.

References

¹ The relevant report can be accessed by selecting the Applications/Amendment/Historical tab and opening the Evaluation Report found under Application Number 2007-0267.

² Codex is an international organization under the auspices of the United Nations that develops international food standards, including MRLs.