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Proposed Maximum Residue Limit PMRL2012-46, Mesotrione

Pest Management Regulatory Agency
21 December 2012
ISSN: 1925-0843 (PDF version)
Catalogue Number: H113-24/2012-46E-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 new uses on blueberries to the product label of Callisto 480SC Herbicide, containing technical grade mesotrione, is acceptable. The specific uses approved in Canada are detailed on the label of Callisto 480SC Herbicide, Pest Control Products Act Registration Number 27833.

The evaluation of this mesotrione application 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 the registration 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}

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

MRLs are proposed for each food commodity included in the stone fruit subgroups in accordance with the Residue Chemistry Crop Groups webpage in the Pesticides and Pest Management section of Health Canada's website.

A list of pesticide MRLs established in Canada, as of the date indicated, 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 proposed MRL for mesotrione in Canada is the same as the corresponding tolerance established for "Berry, group 13" 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 2} listed for mesotrione 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 MRL for mesotrione 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 MRL and posting a corresponding Established Maximum Residue Limit document in the Pesticides and Pest Management section of Health Canada's website.