Pest Management Regulatory Agency
23 June 2011
ISSN: 1925-0843 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-24/2011-20E-PDF (PDF version)

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Under the authority of the  Pest Control Products Act, Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is proposing to establish maximum residue limits (MRLs) for foramsulfuron in or on popcorn and sweet corn to permit the import and sale of foods containing such residues.

Foramsulfuron is a herbicide currently registered in Canada for use on field corn in Eastern Canada and Manitoba.

The PMRA has determined the quantity of residues that are likely to remain in or on the imported food commodities when foramsulfuron is used according to label directions in the exporting country. The PMRA has also determined that such residues will not be a concern to human health and is proposing to legally establish corresponding import MRLs. 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.

Details regarding the proposed MRLs can be found in the corresponding Evaluation Report available in the Pesticides and Pest Management section of Health Canada's website, under Public Registry, Pesticide Product Information Database.^{Footnote 1}

Consultation on the proposed import MRLs for foramsulfuron 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 foramsulfuron in Canada in or on food, to be added to the MRL already legally established for field corn, are as follows.

Table 1 - Proposed Maximum Residue Limits for Foramsulfuron

Common Name	Residue Definition	MRL (ppm)	Food Commodity
Foramsulfuron	2-[[[[(4,6-dimethoxy-2-yrimidinyl)amino] carbonyl]amino]sulfonyl]-4-(formylamino)-N,N-dimethylbenzamide	0.01	Popcorn grain, sweet corn kernels plus cob with husks removed

A complete list of all pesticide 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 foramsulfuron in or on popcorn and sweet corn when applied as a herbicide in accordance with good agricultural practices (see the  Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 40 CFR Section 180.1219). Currently, Codex Alimentarius MRLs^{Footnote 2} have not been established for foramsulfuron on any commodity. A listing of all established Codex MRLs is available on the Codex Alimentarius  Pesticide Residues in Food website.

Next Steps

The PMRA invites the public to submit written comments on the proposed import MRLs for foramsulfuron up 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 import MRLs for foramsulfuron and posting a corresponding Established Maximum Residue Limit document in the Pesticides and Pest Management section of Health Canada's website.