Consultation on clethodim, Proposed Maximum Residue Limit PMRL2024-21

Health Canada is consulting the public and seeking your feedback on a proposed maximum residue limit (MRL) increase for the use of clethodim on lowbush blueberries.

An MRL is the highest amount of a specific pesticide residue allowed on a particular food when a pesticide is used according to label directions.

The proposed MRL increase for clethodim on lowbush blueberries is being requested to support the Canadian use of clethodim on lowbush blueberries with cranberry data that better represent the proposed use than the highbush blueberry data used to calculate the previously established MRL.

This proposed MRL change allows lowbush blueberries treated with clethodim, or any processed food derived from it, to be grown and sold in Canada. This MRL change also applies to this food being imported into Canada.

Clethodim

• Clethodim is a herbicide currently registered for use in Canada on various fruit, vegetable, grain, herb and spice commodities.
• Clethodim was first registered in Canada in 1992.

What is the proposed MRL decision 

This consultation is on the proposed decision to: 

• Increase the MRL for clethodim from 0.2 parts per million (ppm) to 0.5 ppm on lowbush blueberries.

Health Canada conducted scientific evaluations to determine the potential impact on human health of the new clethodim use. The scientific evaluations show that the proposed revised MRL for clethodim would continue to meet Health Canada's requirements for the protection of human health. 

How to get involved

This consultation comment period is open for comment from 2 October 2024 and closes on 16 December 2024 (75 calendar days inclusively). 

To comment on PMRL2024-21: 

• Step 1: Open "View the proposed MRL decision" to access the document. 
• Step 2: Submit comments to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency Publications Section on or before 16 December 2024. 

Please be sure to include the title of the consultation document on which you are commenting.

Health Canada will consider all comments received by the end of the consultation comment period (16 December 2024) before making a final decision on the proposed MRL for clethodim.  

View the proposed MRL decision

Related information 

• Maximum residue limits, human health, and food safety
• Improving how we communicate about MRLs

Reporting to the people of Canada 

Health Canada will make the results of this consultation available on this website. Once the decision on clethodim is finalized, the established MRL will be legally in effect as of the date that it is entered into the MRL database. The MRL database is an online application that allows users to search for established MRLs, regulated under the Pest Control Products Act, for pesticides and foods.

If you have any questions, contact the Pest Management Information Service. 

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