Proposed Maximum Residue Limit PMRL2011-43, Bromoxynil

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Notice to the reader: The online consultation is now closed. Comments and suggestions received during the public consultation period are being considered in the finalization of this document. The final report will be made available as soon as possible.

Pest Management Regulatory Agency
20 October 2011
ISSN: 1925-0843 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-24/2011-43E-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 bromoxynil on cereal grains (Crop Group 15, except rice), peppermint tops, spearmint tops and undelinted cotton seeds to permit the import and sale of foods containing such residues.

The PMRA has determined the quantity of residues that are likely to remain in or on the imported food commodities when bromoxynil is used according to label directions in the exporting country. The Agency 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 import 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 bromoxynil is being conducted via this document (see Next Steps, the last section of this document).

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 in Canada in or on food, to replace or be added to the MRLs already legally established for bromoxynil, are as follows.

Table 1 - Proposed Maximum Residue Limits for Bromoxynil

Common Name	Residue Definition	MRL (ppm)	Food Commodity
proposed to replace the existing MRL of 0.1 ppm for pearl millet, proso millet and sorghum and include all other group commodities, except rice.
Bromoxynil	3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile	0.05	Cereal grains (Crop Group 15, except rice), peppermint tops, spearmint tops
	3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile, including the metabolite 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzoic acid	1.5	Undelinted cotton seeds

MRLs are proposed for food commodities included in the cereal grains crop group in accordance with the Residue Chemistry Crop Groups webpage in the Pesticides and Pest Management section of Health Canada's website.

The residue definitions currently established for the enforcement of bromoxynil MRLs in Canada are listed in Table 2.

Table 2 - Current Residue Definitions for Established Bromoxynil MRLs

Food Commodity	Residue Definition
Dry bulb onions, pearl millet, proso millet and sorghum	3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile
All food commodities except dry bulb onions, pearl millet, proso millet and sorghum	3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile, including the metabolite 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzoic acid

However, in order to clarify that the metabolite DBHA should only be considered in the residue definition for specific crops which can be genetically modified to be tolerant to bromoxynil, this action also proposes to revise the established residue definitions in accordance with Table 3.

Table 3 - Proposed Revisions to Residue Definitions for Established Bromoxynil MRLs

Food Commodity	Residue Definition
All food commodities, except rapeseeds (canola) and undelinted cotton seeds	3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile
Rapeseeds (canola) and undelinted cotton seeds	3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile, including the metabolite 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzoic acid

A complete list of 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

Table 4 compares the MRLs proposed for bromoxynil in Canada with corresponding American tolerances and Codex MRLs^{Footnote 2}. American tolerances are listed in the  Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 40 CFR Part 180, by pesticide. Currently, Codex MRLs are not listed for bromoxynil in or on any commodity on the Codex Alimentarius  Pesticide Residues in Food webpage.

Table 4 - Comparison of Canadian MRLs, American Tolerances and Codex MRLs

Food Commodity	Canadian MRL (ppm)	American Tolerance (ppm)	Codex  MRL (ppm)
Sorghum	0.05	0.2	Not established
Barley, field corn, oats, popcorn grain, rye, triticale, wheat	0.05	0.05	Not established
Buckwheat, pearl millet, proso millet, sweet corn kernels plus cob with husks removed, teosinte, wild rice	0.05	Not established	Not established
Peppermint tops, spearmint tops	0.05	0.1	Not established
Undelinted cotton seeds	1.5	1.5	Not established

Next Steps

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