Proposed Maximum Residue Limit PMRL2012-12, Metrafenone

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
14 May 2012
ISSN: 1925-0843 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-24/2012-12E-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 granted conditional registration to technical grade metrafenone and the end-use product Vivando SC Fungicide for use in Canada on grapes. The specific uses approved in Canada are detailed on the product label of Vivando SC Fungicide, Pest Control Products Act Registration Number 29765.

The evaluation of these metrafenone 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 ERC2011-10, Metrafenone which was posted to the Health Canada website on 21 November 2011.

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 MRLs for metrafenone is being conducted via this document (see Next Steps, the last section of this document). ERC2011-10 includes information regarding the proposed MRLs in Sections 3.5.4 and 7.1 and Appendix II addresses the international situation and trade implications. Supporting field trial residue data are provided in Appendix I, Table 5 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 metrafenone in Canada in or on food are as follows.

Table 1 - Proposed Maximum Residue Limits for Metrafenone

Common Name	Residue Definition	MRL (ppm)	Food Commodity
ppm = parts per million
Metrafenone	(3-bromo-6-methoxy-2-methylphenyl)(2,3,4-trimethoxy-6-methylphenyl)methanone	17	Raisins
		4.5	Grapes

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 MRLs proposed for metrafenone in Canada are the same as 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 metrafenone in or on any commodity on the Codex Alimentarius  Pesticide Residues in Food webpage.

Next Steps

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