Proposed Maximum Residue Limit PMRL2013-37, Metribuzin

Pest Management Regulatory Agency
25 June 2013
ISSN: 1925-0843 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-24/2013-37E-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 metribuzin in or on asparagus, carrot roots, dry field peas, dry lentils, dry soybeans, potatoes, field corn, succulent shelled peas, sugarcane and sugarcane molasses, sweet corn kernels plus cob with husks removed, and tomatoes to permit the import and sale of foods containing such residues.

Metribuzin is a 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 metribuzin 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 proposed import MRLs 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}

Consultation on the proposed MRLs for metribuzin 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, to replace or be added to the MRLs already established for metribuzin are as follows.

Table 1 - Proposed Maximum Residue Limits for Metribuzin

Common Name	Residue Definition	MRL (ppmTable 1 footnote 1)	Food Commodity
Table 1 footnotes Table 1 footnote 1 ppm = parts per million Return to table 1 footnote 1 referrer Table 1 footnote 1 The proposed MRL of 0.6 ppm for potatoes will replace the established MRL of 0.5 ppm on this commodity, in order to accommodate import commodities. Return to table 1 footnote 2 referrer
Metribuzin	4-amino-6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-(methylthio)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one, including the metabolites 6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-(methylthio)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one, 4-amino-6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1,2,4-triazine-3,5(2H,4H)-dione and 6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)- 1,2,4-triazine-3,5(2H,4H)-dione	2.0	Sugarcane molasses
		0.6	PotatoesTable 1 footnote 2
		0.3	Carrot roots, dry soybeans
		0.1	Asparagus, succulent shelled peas, sugarcane, tomatoes
		0.05	Dry field peas, field corn, dry lentils, sweet corn kernels plus cob with husks removed

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 MRLs proposed for metribuzin in Canada are the same as corresponding American tolerances as listed in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 40 CFR Part 180, by pesticide. Currently, there are no Codex MRLs^{Footnote 2} listed for metribuzin 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 metribuzin 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.

The established MRL will be legally in effect as of the date that it is entered into the Maximum Residue Limit Database.