. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/CAN/107
16 May 2001
(01-2518)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English/
French
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  CANADA
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Department of Health
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Bentazon
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Proposed Amendment to the Food
and Drug Regulations (1138- Bentazon) (pages 1577-1580)
5. Description of content:  Under authority of the Pest Control Products Ac t, the Pest
Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), of Health Canada, has approved an application
for the registration of the pest control product (pesticide) bentazon as a herbicide for the
control of broadleaf weeds in various crops.  This proposed regulatory amendment wouldestablish Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) under the Food and Drugs Act for residues of
bentazon and its metabolites resulting from this use in beans, blueberries, corn, peanuts,
peas, soybeans and wheat, and in imported barley, leeks, onions and rice, in order to permit
the sale of food containing these residues.
After the review of all available data, the PMRA has determined that MRLs for bentazon,
including its metabolites, of 3 parts per million (ppm) in peas; 0.5 ppm in beans; 0.1 ppm in
barley, leeks, onions and wheat; and 0.05 ppm in blueberries, corn, peanuts, rice andsoybeans would not pose an unacceptable health risk to the public.
6. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [     ] protect territory from
other damage from pests           
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [     ].
If an international standard, guidelin e or recommendation exists, give the
appropriate reference and briefly identify deviations:  Codex has established a 0.1 ppm
CXL on wheat and barley.
The MRLs for corn, peanuts, rice, soybeans,  beans, and peas are harmonized with the
tolerances established in the United States for corn grain and fresh corn, peanuts, rice,
soybeans, succulent beans, and a time-limited tolerance on succulent peas. The MRLs for
onions (bulb) are harmonized with the MRLs  established by Codex for onions (bulb).
Deviations include:
Codex has established MRLs of 0.2 ppm in maize (corn) and maize fodder.G/SPS/N/CAN/107
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Codex has established a MRL of 0.1 ppm in rice.
Codex has established a MRL of 0.05 ppm in dry soybeans.
Codex has established a MRL of 0.2 ppm in common bean (pods and/or immature seeds)
and a MRL of 0.05 ppm in dry beans, dry broad beans, and lima beans.  The United States
has established tolerances of 0.05 ppm in dry beans, dry broad beans, and lima beans(young pods and/or immature beans).
Codex has established a MRL of 1.0 ppm on fiel d peas (dry), and a 0.2 ppm on garden peas
(young pods).  The United States has established tolerances of 0.5 ppm on succulent peas and
0.05 ppm on dried peas.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: :   Canada Gazette,
Part 1, 5 May, 2001 (Available in English and French)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Not stated.
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  Not stated.
11. Final date for comments:  4 July 2001
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [  X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:           
12. Texts available from: [     ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Text also available on the internet at: http://canada.gc.ca/gazette/part1/pdf/g1-13518.pdf