Proposed Maximum Residue Limit PMRL2013-05, Fluazifop-butyl

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
18 March 2013
ISSN: 1925-0843 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-24/2013-5E-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 concluded that a reduction in the pre-harvest interval (PHI) for the potato use found on the product label of Venture L Herbicide, containing technical grade fluazifop-p-butyl, is acceptable. The specific use approved in Canada is detailed on the label of Venture L Herbicide, Pest Control Products Act Registration Number 21209.

The evaluation of this fluazifop-p-butyl application indicated that the end-use product has merit and value and the human health and environmental risks associated with the revised use 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.

Residues of fluazifop-p-butyl, the resolved (R)-isomer, are covered by MRLs established for fluazifop-butyl, the unresolved isomeric mixture. Consultation on the proposed MRLs for fluazifop-butyl 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 in Canada in or on food, to replace or be added to the MRLs already legally established for fluazifop-butyl, are as follows.

Table 1 - Proposed Maximum Residue Limits for Fluazifop-Butyl

Common Name	Residue Definition	MRL (ppm)	Food Commodity
Table 1 footnotes Table 1 footnote 1 = parts per million Return to table 1 footnote ppm referrer Table 1 footnote 2 The MRL is proposed to replace the currently established 0.01 ppm MRL to accommodate a reduction in the PHI from 90 to 45 days. Return to table 1 footnote a referrer
Fluazifop-butyl	(RS)-2-[4-(5-(trifluorométhyl-2-pyridyloxy]phénoxy]propionate de butyle(calculé en acide)	4.0	Potato flakes, potato  granules
		2.0	Potato chips
		1.0	Potatoes
		0.05	MilkTable 1 footnote a

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 Canadian MRLs for fluazifop-butyl are the same as corresponding tolerances established in the United States for fluazifop-p-butyl in or on potatoes and processed potato commodities (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 fluazifop-butyl 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 fluazifop-butyl 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 they are entered into the Maximum Residue Limit Database.