Proposed Maximum Residue Limit PMRL2011-49, Metconazole

This content was archived on June 24, 2013.

Pest Management Regulatory Agency
8 December 2011
ISSN: 1925-0843 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-24/2011-49E-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.

Under the authority of the  Pest Control Products Act, Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has conditionally registered technical grade metconazole and the end-use product Caramba Fungicide for use in Canada on cereals, soybeans and sugar beets. The specific uses approved in Canada are detailed on the product label of Caramba Fungicide, Pest Control Products Act Registration number 29767.

The evaluation of these metconazole applications indicated that the end-use product has merit and value and the human health and environmental risks associated with the new uses are acceptable. Details regarding these registrations can be found in Evaluation Report ERC2011-02, Metconazole.

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.

In addition, the PMRA is proposing to establish an import MRL for metconazole on bananas to permit the import and sale of food containing such residues. The PMRA has determined the quantity of residues that are likely to remain in or on the imported commodities when metconazole is used according to label directions in the exporting country, and that such residues will not be a concern to human health. Details regarding the proposed import MRL can also be found in ERC2011-02.

Consultation on the proposed MRLs for metconazole is being conducted via this document (see Next Steps, the last section of this document). ERC2011-02 includes information regarding the proposed MRLs in Section 3.5.3 and Appendix II addresses the international situation and trade implications. Supporting field trial residue data are provided in Appendix I, Table 11 of the Evaluation Report.

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 metconazole in Canada in or on food are as follows.

Table 1 - Proposed Maximum Residue Limits for Metconazole

Common Name	Residue Definition	MRL (ppm)	Food Commodity
Metconazole	5-[(4-chlorophenyl)methyl]-2,2-dimethyl-1-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)cyclopentanol	2.5	Barley
		1.0	Oats
		0.25	Rye
		0.15	Sugar beet roots, wheat
		0.1	Bananas
		0.05	Dry soybeans
		0.04	Eggs; fat, meat and meat byproducts of cattle, goats, hogs, horses and sheep; milk

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

MRLs may vary from one country to another for a number of reasons, including differences in pesticide use patterns and the locations of the field crop trials used to generate residue chemistry data. For livestock commodities, differences in MRLs can also be due to different livestock feed items and practices.

Table 2 compares the MRLs proposed for metaconazole in Canada with corresponding tolerances established in the United States (tolerances are listed in the  Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 40 CFR Part 180, by pesticide). Currently, there are no Codex MRLs^{Footnote 1} listed for metconazole in or on any commodity on the Codex Alimentarius Pesticide Residues in Food webpage.

Table 2 - Comparison of Canadian MRLs and American Tolerances

Food Commodity	Canadian MRL (ppm)	American Tolerance (ppm)
Barley	2.5	2.5
Oats	1.0	1.0
Rye	0.25	0.25
Sugar beet roots	0.15	0.07
Wheat	0.15	0.15
Bananas	0.1	0.1
Dry soybeans	0.05	0.05
Eggs	0.04	0.04
Meat byproducts of cattle, goats, horses and sheep	0.04	0.04
Meat byproducts of hogs	0.04	Not established
Fat and meat of cattle, goats, hogs, horses and sheep	0.04	Not established
Milk	0.04	Not established

Next Steps

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