Proposed Maximum Residue Limit PMRL2013-04, Clopyralid

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
22 February 2013
ISSN: 1925-0843 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-24/2013-04E-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 clopyralid in or on various commodities to permit the import and sale of foods containing such residues.

Clopyralid is an herbicide currently registered in Canada for use on a number of fruit, vegetable and cereal commodities.

The PMRA has determined the quantity of residues that are likely to remain in or on the imported food commodities when clopyralid 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 that is 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 clopyralid 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 clopyralid in Canada in or on food, to replace or be added to the MRLs already legally established, are as follows.

Table 1 - Proposed Maximum Residue Limits for Clopyralid

Common Name	Residue Definition	MRL (ppm)	Food Commodity
Table 1 footnotes Table 1 footnote 1 Proposed to replace the 2.0 ppm MRL currently established for the listed cereal commodities. Return to table 1 footnote a referrer Table 1 footnote 2 Proposed to replace the 0.2 ppm MRL currently established for flax. Return to table 1 footnote b referrer Table 1 footnote 3 Proposed to replace the 1.0 ppm MRL currently established for head and stem Brassica commodities and include Brussels sprouts, the only subgroup commodity for which an MRL is not established. Return to table 1 footnote c referrer
Clopyralid	3,6-dichloro-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid	10	Sugar beet molasses
		5.0	Hops, mustard greens, spinach
		4.0	Cranberries, turnip tops, garden beet roots
		3.0	BarleyTable 1 footnote a, flaxseedsTable 1 footnote b, garden beet tops, mustard seeds (oilseed type), oatsTable 1 footnote a, peppermint tops, rapeseeds (canola), spearmint tops, wheatTable 1 footnote a
		2.0	Head and stem Brassica (Crop Subgroup 5A)Table 1 footnote c, sugar beet roots
		1.5	Dried prune plums
		1.0	Field corn, popcorn grain, sweet corn kernels plus cob with husks removed, turnip roots
		0.5	Stone fruits (Crop Group 12-09)

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

MRLs established in Canada may be found using the Maximum Residue Limit Database on the Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides webpage. The database allows users to search for pesticide(s) or for food commodity(ies).

International Situation and Trade Implications

The proposed MRLs for clopyralid 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, Codex Alimentarius MRLs^{Footnote 2} have not been established for clopyralid 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 MRLs for clopyralid 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. Comments received will be addressed in a separate document linked to this PMRL. The established MRLs will be legally in effect as of the date that they are entered into the Maximum Residue Limit Database.