17 December 2009
HC Pub: 8176
ISBN: 978-1-100-11773-7 (print version)
ISBN: 978-1-100-11774-4 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-24/2009-8E (print version)
Catalogue number: H113-24/2009-8E-PDF (PDF version)

Help on accessing alternative formats, such as Portable Document Format (PDF), Microsoft Word and PowerPoint (PPT) files, can be obtained in the alternate format help section.

Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is reviewing the continued acceptability of older active ingredients and their associated end-use products under the current re-evaluation program. Since the initiation of the re-evaluation program, registrants have chosen to discontinue a number of active ingredients and their associated end-use products. In such cases, the PMRA does no further review of the pesticide and a schedule for phasing out the existing products is established. For agricultural commodities, the PMRA requires that maximum residue limits¹ (MRLs) be revoked, unless additional data to support residues in imported foods are provided.

The PMRA published the following Re-evaluation Notes for discontinued agricultural pest control products in 2003, 2004 and 2005:

• Re-evaluation Note REV2003-05, Pest Control Products Under Re-evaluation Discontinuation of Agricultural Products Registered Under the Pest Control Products Act and Proposed Changes to Maximum Residue Limits Under the Food and Drugs Act
• Re-evaluation Note REV2004-03, Discontinuation of Agricultural Products Registered under the Pest Control Products Act and Proposed Changes to Maximum Residue Limits under the Food and Drugs Act
• Re-evaluation Note REV2005-01, Discontinuation of Agricultural Pest Control Products under Re-evaluation and Proposed Changes to Maximum Residue Limits: Update 3

These Re-evaluation Notes communicated the phase-out of active ingredients and their associated end-use products that were no longer supported by registrants. These documents also indicated that corresponding MRLs would be revoked, and specified the earliest dates that the MRL changes would take effect, giving sufficient time to allow for legally treated commodities to clear the channels of trade.

Consultation on specific MRLs² proposed for revocation in Re-evaluation Notes REV2003-05, REV2004-03 and REV2005-01 is being conducted via this document (see Next Steps).

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

Table 1 lists the legally established MRLs in Canada, which are proposed for revocation and the status of corresponding American tolerances and Codex³ MRLs. A complete list of all MRLs established in Canada can be found on the Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides webpage in the Pesticides and Pest Management section of Health Canada's website. American tolerances are listed in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 40 CFR Part 180, by pesticide and Codex MRLs are available on the Codex Alimentarius Pesticide Residues in Food website.

Table 1 - Comparison of Currently Established Canadian Maximum Residue Limits Proposed for Revocation with American Tolerances and Codex Maximum Residue Limits

Note: n/a = no Codex or MRL established for that active ingredient and commodity combination.

Active Ingredient	Food Commodity	Canadian MRL (ppm)	American Tolerance (ppm)	Codex MRL (ppm)
Anilazine (REV2003-05)	Strawberries	20	No tolerances established for the chemical (all previously revoked)	No MRLs established for the chemical and none previously revoked
	Blueberries	10
	Celery	10
	Cranberries	10
	Currants	10
	Garlic	10
	Gooseberries	10
	Leeks	10
	Onions	10
	Shallots	10
	Tomatoes	10
	Blackberries	5.0
	Cucumbers	5.0
	Dewberries	5.0
	Loganberries	5.0
	Melons	5.0
	Pumpkins	5.0
	Raspberries	5.0
	Squash	5.0
	Potatoes	1.0
Ethion (REV2003-05)	Fat of cattle	2.5*	No tolerances established for the chemical (revoked 1 October 2008)	No MRLs established for the chemical and non previously revoked
	Meat byproducts of cattle	2.5*
	Meat of cattle	2.5*
	Apples	2.0
	Citrus fruits (see Residue Chemistry Crop Groups)	2.0
	Grapes	2.0
	Pears	2.0
	Beans	1.0
	Nectarines	1.0
	Peaches	1.0
	Plums	1.0
	Strawberries	1.0
	Tomatoes	0.5
Lindane (REV2003-05)	Fat of cattle	2.0*	No tolerances established for the chemical (revoked 2 October 2009)	n/a
	Fat of goats	2.0*		n/a
	Fat of hogs	2.0*		n/a
	Fat of sheep	2.0*		n/a
	Meat byproducts of cattle	2.0*		0.01; Edible offal
	Meat byproducts of goats	2.0*		0.01; Edible offal
	Meat byproducts of hogs	2.0*		0.01; Edible offal
	Meat byproducts of sheep	2.0*		0.01; Edible offal
	Meat of cattle	2.0*		0.1 (Fat basis)
	Meat of goats	2.0*		0.1 (Fat basis)
	Meat of hogs	2.0*		0.1 (Fat basis)
	Meat of sheep	2.0*		0.1 (Fat basis)
	Meat byproducts of poultry	0.7*		0.01; Edible offal
	Meat of poultry	0.7*		0.05 (Fat basis)
	Butter	0.2*		n/a
	Cheese	0.2*		n/a
	Milk	0.2*		0.01
	Other dairy products	0.2*		n/a
	Apples	3.0		n/a
	Apricots	3.0		n/a
	Asparagus	3.0		n/a
	Avocados	3.0		n/a
	Broccoli	3.0		n/a
	Brussel sprouts	3.0		n/a
	Cabbages	3.0		n/a
	Cauliflower	3.0		n/a
	Celery	3.0		n/a
	Cherries	3.0		n/a
	Collards	3.0		n/a
	Cucumbers	3.0		n/a
	Eggplants	3.0		n/a
	Grapes	3.0		n/a
	Guavas	3.0		n/a
	Kale	3.0		n/a
	Kohlrabi	3.0		n/a
	Lettuce	3.0		n/a
	Mangoes	3.0		n/a
	Melons	3.0		n/a
	Mushrooms	3.0		n/a
	Mustard greens	3.0		n/a
	Nectarines	3.0		n/a
	Okra	3.0		n/a
	Onions	3.0		n/a
	Peaches	3.0		n/a
	Pears	3.0		n/a
	Peppers	3.0		n/a
	Pineapples	3.0		n/a
	Plums	3.0		n/a
	Pumpkins	3.0		n/a
	Quinces	3.0		n/a
	Spinach	3.0		n/a
	Squash	3.0		n/a
	Strawberries	3.0		n/a
	Swiss chard	3.0		n/a
	Tomatoes	3.0		n/a
Propargite (REV2004-03)	Apricots	7.0	No tolerances established for these commodities	No MRLs established for these commodities
	Strawberries	7.0
	Cranberries	5.0
	Pears	3.0
Methoxychlor (REV2004-03)	Fat of cattle	3.0*	No tolerances established for the chemical (revoked 17 July 2002)	No MRLs established for the chemical
	Fat of hogs	3.0*
	Fat of sheep	3.0*
	Meat byproducts of cattle	3.0*
	Meat byproducts of hogs	3.0*
	Meat byproducts of sheep	3.0*
	Meat of cattle	3.0*
	Meat of hogs	3.0*
	Meat of sheep	3.0*
	Apples	14
	Apricots	14
	Asparagus	14
	Beans	14
	Beets	14
	Blackberries	14
	Blackeyed peas	14
	Blueberries	14
	Broccoli	14
	Brussel sprouts	14
	Cabbages	14
	Carrots	14
	Cauliflower	14
	Cherries	14
	Collards	14
	Corn (in the husk)	14
	Cranberries	14
	Cucumbers	14
	Currants	14
	Eggplants	14
	Gooseberries	14
	Grapes	14
	Kale	14
	Kohlrabi	14
	Lettuce	14
	Loganberries	14
	Melons	14
	Mushrooms	14
	Nectarines	14
	Peaches	14
	Peanuts	14
	Pears	14
	Peas	14
	Peppers	14
	Pineapples	14
	Plums	14
	Pumpkins	14
	Quinces	14
	Radishes	14
	Raspberries	14
	Spinach	14
	Squash	14
	Strawberries	14
	Summer squash	14
	Tomatoes	14
	Turnips (rutabagas)	14
	Barley	2.0
	Corn (as grain)	2.0
	Oats	2.0
	Rice	2.0
	Rye	2.0
	Soybeans	2.0
	Wheat	2.0
Ethoxyquin (REV2005-01)	Fat of poultry	3.0	No tolerances established for these commodities	No MRLs established for these commodities
	Liver of poultry	3.0
	Eggs	0.5
	Meat	0.5
	Meat of poultry	0.5
	Apples	3.0
Dichlone (REV2003-05)	Strawberries	15	No tolerances established for the chemical (all previously revoked)	No MRLs established for the chemical
	Apples	3.0
	Cherries	3.0
	Nectarines	3.0
	Peaches	3.0
	Plums	3.0
	Prunes	3.0
Isofenphos (REV2003-05)	Eggs	0.02	No tolerances established for the chemical (all previously revoked)	No MRLs established for the chemical and none previously revoked
	Milk	0.01
	Rapeseed (canola)	0.02
Ethyl Parathion (Parathion) (REV2003-05)	Apples	1.0	No tolerances established for the chemical (revoked 31 December 2005)	No MRLs established for the chemical and none previously revoked
	Apricots	1.0
	Blackberries	1.0
	Blueberries	1.0
	Cherries	1.0
	Citrus fruits (see Appendix I)	1.0
	Cranberries	1.0
	Currants	1.0
	Gooseberries	1.0
	Grapes	1.0
	Hops	1.0
	Loganberries	1.0
	Melons	1.0
	Nectarines	1.0
	Peaches	1.0
	Pears	1.0
	Plums	1.0
	Quinces	1.0
	Raspberries	1.0
	Strawberries	1.0
	Beans	0.7
	Broccoli	0.7
	Brussel sprouts	0.7
	Cabbage	0.7
	Carrots	0.7
	Cauliflower	0.7
	Celery	0.7
	Corn	0.7
	Cucumbers	0.7
	Eggplants	0.7
	Endives	0.7
	Kale	0.7
	Kohlrabi	0.7
	Lettuce	0.7
	Onions	0.7
	Parsnips	0.7
	Peas	0.7
	Peppers	0.7
	Pumpkins	0.7
	Radishes	0.7
	Red beets	0.7
	Spinach	0.7
	Squash	0.7
	Swiss chard	0.7
	Tomatoes	0.7
	Turnips	0.7

* MRL calculated on the fat content

REV2003-05 also indicated that MRLs would be revoked for benomyl and fluazifop-butyl, but that residues may overlap with thiophanate-methyl and fluazifop-P isomer, respectively. Benomyl is to be removed from Health Canada's List of Maximum Residue Limits Regulated Under the Pest Control Products Act and Residue Definitions for Chemicals with MRLs Regulated Under the Pest Control Products Act, but the corresponding MRLs remain in effect as they are required for carbendazim and thiophanate-methyl. MRLs for fluazifop-butyl (racemic mix) also remain in effect as they are required for the registered fluazifop-P isomer.

Next Steps

The PMRA invites the public to submit written comments on the proposed revocation of MRLs for these discontinued active ingredients up to 75 days from the date of publication of this document. Please forward your comments to Publications. Parties interested in supporting import MRLs for these discontinued pesticides should note that supporting data may be required. The PMRA will consider all comments received before making a final decision on the revocation of these MRLs.