FOOD AND HEALTH ESSENTIALS

Health Canada proposes MRLs for spirotetramat

Health Canada has proposed to establish maximum residue limits (MRLs) for spirotetramat in certain root vegetables and nut products.

An insecticide widely used on a number of agricultural crops, spirotetramat is considered to be an eye and skin irritant in humans and animals. Health Canada’s recently conducted its own risk assessment of the levels of spirotetramat that would be harmful to human health in certain domestic and imported foods, such as carrots, sugar beets and asparagus, as well as stone fruits and tree nuts. Based on that assessment, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has proposed specific MRLs for spirotetramat these food products.

 The MRLs are published in Table 1 of the PMRA’s proposal, which was issued in November, and are consistent with MRL values for spirotetramat applicable in the U.S.

Public comments on the proposed MRLs for spirotetramat can be submitted to the PMRA until mid-January 2018. The complete text of the PMRA’s proposal is available here.