Pest Management Regulatory Agency
11 July 2013
ISSN: 1925-0843 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-24/2013-48E-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 sweet potatoes to the product label of Clutch 50 WDG Insecticide, containing technical grade clothianidin, is acceptable. The specific uses approved in Canada are detailed on the label of Clutch 50 WDG Insecticide, Pest Control Products Act Registration Number 29382.
The evaluation of this clothianidin 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.
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 limits (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 clothianidin is being conducted via this document (see Next Steps). A summary of the field trial data used to support the proposed MRL can be found in Appendix I.
To comply with Canada's international trade obligations, consultation on the proposed MRL is also being conducted internationally by notifying the
World Trade Organization, as coordinated by the
Standards Council of Canada.
The proposed MRL, to be added to the MRLs already established for clothianidin, is as follows.
| Common Name | Residue Definition | MRL (ppmTable 1 footnote 1) | Food Commodity |
|---|---|---|---|
Table 1 footnotes
|
|||
| Clothianidin | [C(E)]-N-[(2-chloro-5-thiazolyl)methyl]-N'-methyl-N"-nitroguanidine | 0.3 | Sweet potato roots |
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 by pesticide(s) or for food commodity(ies).
The MRL proposed for clothianidin in Canada is the same as the corresponding American tolerances as listed in the
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 40 CFR Part 180, by pesticide. Currently, there are no Codex MRLsFootnote 1 listed for clothianidin in or on sweet potato roots on the Codex Alimentarius
Pesticide Residues in Food webpage.
The PMRA invites the public to submit written comments on the proposed MRL for clothianidin 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. Comments received will be addressed in a separate document linked to this PMRL. The established MRL will be legally in effect as of the date that it is entered into the Maximum Residue Limit Database.
Previously reviewed residue data from field trials conducted in the United States and Canada were reassessed in the framework of this petition. Clothianidin was applied to potatoes, the representative commodity for the Tuberous and Corm Vegetables Subgroup (Crop Subgroup 1C), and harvested according to label directions.
The recommendation for a maximum residue limit (MRL) for clothianidin in/on sweet potato roots was based upon the residue data on file for potatoes since sweet potatoes are included in the Tuberous and Corm Vegetables Subgroup along with potatoes.
Following the review of all available data, an MRL of 0.3 ppm is recommended to cover residues of clothianidin in/on sweet potato roots. Residues of clothianidin in sweet potato roots at the proposed MRL will not pose an unacceptable risk to any segment of the population, including infants, children, adults and seniors.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission is an international organization under the auspices of the United Nations that develops international food standards, including MRLs.