29 January 2010
HC Pub: 100026
ISBN: 978-1-100-13332-4 (print version)
ISBN: 978-1-100-13332-1 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-24/2010-2E (print version)
Catalogue number: H113-24/2010-2E-PDF (PDF version)

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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 on Clearfield lentils to the product label of Solo WDG Herbicide, containing technical grade imazamox, is acceptable. The specific use approved in Canada is detailed on the label of Solo WDG Herbicide, Pest Control Products Act Registration Number 25496.

The evaluation of this imazamox 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 Health Canada website, under Public Registry, Pesticide Product Information Database.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 MRL for imazamox is being conducted via this document (see Next Steps).

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

The proposed MRL for imazamox in Canada in or on food, to be added to the MRLs already legally established, is as follows.

Table 1 Proposed Maximum Residue Limits for Imazamox

Common Name	Residue Definition	MRL (ppm)	Food Commodity
Imazamox	2-[4,5-dihydro-4-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-5-oxo-1H-imidazol-2-yl]-5-(methoxymethyl)-3- pyridinecarboxylic acid	0.25	Lentils

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.

International Situation and Trade Implications

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has established an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of imazamox in or on all food commodities when applied as a herbicide in accordance with good agricultural practices (see the  Electronic Code of Federal Regulations). Currently, Codex Alimentarius MRLs have not been established for imazamox on any commodity. A listing of all established Codex  MRLs² is available on the  Pesticide Residues in Food website.

Next Steps

The PMRA invites the public to submit written comments on the proposed MRL for imazamoxup to 75 days from the date of publication of this document. Please forward your comments to Publications. The PMRA will consider all comments received before making a final decision on the proposed MRL for imazamoxand posting a corresponding Established Maximum Residue Limit document in the Pesticides and Pest Management section of Health Canada’s website.