Proposed Maximum Residue Limit PMRL2020-48, Azoxystrobin

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Pest Management Regulatory Agency
11 December 2020
ISSN: 1925-0843 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-24/2020-48E-PDF (PDF version)

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 azoxystrobin on various commodities to permit the import and sale of foods containing such residues.

Azoxystrobin is a fungicide currently registered in Canada for use on various commodities.

The PMRA must determine the quantity of residues that are likely to remain in or on the imported food commodities when azoxystrobin is used according to label directions in the exporting country, and that such residues will not be a concern to human health. This quantity is then legally established as an MRL on the corresponding imported commodity. 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 MRLs for azoxystrobin is being conducted via this document (see Next steps). A summary of the field trial data used to support the proposed MRLs can be found in Appendix I.

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 Canada’s Notification Authority and Enquiry Point.

The proposed MRLs, to be added to the MRLs already established for azoxystrobin, are as follows.

Table 1 Proposed maximum residue limits for azoxystrobin
Common name	Residue definition	MRL (ppm)^{Table 1 Footnote 1}	Food commodity
Azoxystrobin	methyl (αE)-2-[[6-(2-cyanophenoxy)-4-pyrimidinyl]oxy]-α-(methoxymethylene)benzeneacetate, including the isomer (Z)-methyl 2-[[6-(2-cyanophenoxy)-4-pyrimidinyl]oxy]-α-(methoxymethylene)benzeneacetate	260	Dried angelica leaves; dried wintergreen leaves
		50	Fresh wintergreen leaves; ti palm leaves
		25	Mizuna
		3.0	Quinoa
		2.0	American plums; beach plums; black cherries; Canada plums; capulins; cherry plums; Japanese apricots; jujubes; Klamath plums; Nanking cherries; sloes
		0.5	Ti palm roots
		0.2	Bush tomatoes; coconas; currant tomatoes; garden huckleberries; goji berries; naranjillas; sunberries; tree tomatoes
		0.02	African tree nuts; Brazilian pine nuts; bunya nuts; bur oak nuts; cajou nuts; candlenuts; coconuts; coquito nuts; dika nuts; gingko nuts; Guiana chestnuts; heartnuts; Japanese horse-chestnuts; mongongo nuts; monkey-pot nuts; monkey puzzle nuts; okari nuts; pachira nuts; peach palm nuts; pequi nuts; pili nuts; pine nuts; sapucaia nuts; tropical almond nuts; yellowhorn nuts
Table 1 Footnote 1 ppm = parts per million Table 1 return to footnote reference 1

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 established MRLs, regulated under the Pest Control Products Act, both for pesticides or for food commodities.

International situation and trade implications

Table 2 compares the MRLs proposed for azoxystrobin in Canada with corresponding American tolerances and Codex MRLs.^{Footnote 1} American tolerances are listed inthe Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 40 CFR Part 180, by pesticide. A listing of established Codex MRLs is available on the Codex Alimentarius Pesticide Index webpage, by pesticide or commodity.

Table 2 Comparison of Canadian MRLs, American Tolerances and Codex MRLs (where different)
Food commodity	Canadian MRL (ppm)	American Tolerance (ppm)	Codex MRL (ppm)
Dried angelica leaves; dried wintergreen leaves;	260	260 Herb Subgroup 19A, dried leaves	300 Dried herbs
Fresh wintergreen leaves	50	50 Herb Subgroup 19A, fresh leaves	70 Herbs
Ti palm leaves	50	50 Ti, leaves	Not established
Mizuna	25	25 Brassica, leafy greens, subgroup 5B	Not established
Quinoa	3.0	3.0	Not established
Bush tomatoes; coconas; currant tomatoes; garden huckleberries; goji berries; naranjillas; sunberries; tree tomatoes	0.2	0.2 Tomato subgroup 8-10A	3 Fruiting vegetables other than cucurbits
Ti palm roots	0.5	0.5 Ti, roots	1 Root and tuber vegetables
African tree nuts; Brazilian pine nuts; bunya nuts; bur oak nuts; cajou nuts; candlenuts; coconuts; coquito nuts; dika nuts; gingko nuts; Guiana chestnuts; heartnuts; Japanese horse-chestnuts; mongongo nuts; monkey-pot nuts; okari nuts; pachira nuts; peach palm nuts; pequi nuts; pili nuts; pine nuts; sapucaia nuts; tropical almond nuts; yellowhorn nuts	0.02	0.02 Nut, tree, group 14-12, except pistachio	0.01 Tree nuts

Next steps

The PMRA invites the public to submit written comments on the proposed MRLs for azoxystrobin 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.

Appendix I

Summary of field trial data used to support the proposed maximum residue limits

Residue data for azoxystrobin in barley were submitted to support the maximum residue limit on imported quinoa and previously reviewed residue data from field trials conducted in/on various crops were reassessed in the framework of this petition to support MRLs on commodities in various crop groups/subgroups. In addition, processing studies in treated tomatoes, plums and wheat were also reassessed to determine the potential for concentration of residues of azoxystrobin into processed commodities.

Maximum residue limits

The recommendation for maximum residue limits (MRLs) for azoxystrobin was based upon the residues observed in crop commodities treated according to label directions or at exaggerated rates in the exporting country, and the guidance provided in the OECD MRL Calculator. Table A1 summarizes the residue data used to calculate the proposed MRLs for imported crops.

Table A1 Summary of field trial and processing data used to support the MRLs
Commodity	Application method/ Total application rate (g a.i./ha)^{Table A1 Footnote 1}	Preharvest interval (days)	Lowest average field trial residues (ppm)	Highest average field trial residues (ppm)	Experimental processing factor
Mustard green	Foliar/1700	0	2.68	21.2	Not required
Tomato	Foliar/896	0-1	<0.02	0.16	Paste: 2.6×; No concentration observed in juice or puree
Almond	Broadcast/1680	28–29, 43–44	<0.02	<0.02	Not required
Pecan	Airblast or broadcast/1344	20–42	<0.02	<0.03	Not required
Sweet cherry	Foliar/2240	0	0.21	1.02	Not required
Peach	Foliar/2240	0	0.23	1.08	Not required
Plum	Foliar/2240	0	<0.03	<0.42	No concentration observed in dried prune
Basil, dried leaves	Foliar/1700	0	121	230	Not required
Chive, dried leaves	Foliar/1700	0	26.8	39.4	Not required
Basil, fresh leaves	Foliar/1700	0	20.1	47.3	Not required
Chive, fresh leaves	Foliar/1700	0	1.23	6.57	Not required
Barley	Foliar/438–461	14–15	0.88	1.85	No concentration observed in flour^{Table A1 Footnote 2}
Carrot	Foliar/2240	0	0.04	0.3	Not required
Radish root	Foliar/2240	0	0.12	0.42	Not required
Sugar beet root	Foliar/2230	0	<0.04	0.18	Not required
Radish tops	Foliar/2240	0	10.1	34.2	Not required
Sugar beet leaves	Foliar/2230	0	<0.03	35.8	Not required
Table A1 Footnote 1 g a.i./ha = grams of active ingredient per hectare Table A1 Return to footnote 1 referrer Table A1 Footnote 2 Translated from wheat data Table A1 Return to footnote 2 referrer

Following the review of all available data, MRLs as proposed in Table 1 are recommended to cover residues of azoxystrobin. Residues of azoxystrobin in these imported crop commodities at the proposed MRLs will not pose an unacceptable risk to any segment of the population, including infants, children, adults and seniors.

Footnote 1

The Codex Alimentarius Commission is an international organization under the auspices of the United Nations that develops international food standards, including MRLs.

Return to footnote 1 referrer

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