Proposed Registration Decision PRD2026-09, Spiropidion, A20262 Insecticide

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Health Canada
Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch
Pesticides Regulatory Directorate
5 June 2026
ISSN: 1925-0886 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-9/2026-9E-PDF (PDF version)

Summary

Table of contents

• Proposed registration decision for spiropidion
• What does Health Canada consider when making a registration decision?
• What is spiropidion?
• Health considerations
• Environmental considerations
• Value considerations
• Measures to minimize risk
• Next steps
• Other information

Proposed registration decision for spiropidion

Health Canada, pursuant to subsection 28(1) of the Pest Control Products Act, is proposing registration for the sale and use of Spiropidion Technical Insecticide, and A20262 Insecticide, containing the active ingredient spiropidion, to control or suppress aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, and two-spotted spider mites on terrestrial food and feed crops, and greenhouse food crops.

An evaluation of available scientific information found that, under the approved conditions of use, the health and environmental risks and the value of the pest control products are acceptable.

This summary describes the key points of the evaluation, while the Science evaluation of Proposed Registration Decision PRD2026-09, Spiropidion, A20262 Insecticide provides detailed technical information on the human health, environmental and value assessments of spiropidion and A20262 Insecticide.

What does Health Canada consider when making a registration decision?

The primary objective of the Pest Control Products Act is to prevent unacceptable risks to individuals and the environment from the use of pest control products. Health or environmental risk is considered acceptable^{Footnote 1} if there is reasonable certainty that no harm to human health, future generations or the environment will result from use or exposure to the product under its proposed conditions of registration. The Act also requires that products have value^{Footnote 2} when used according to the label directions. Conditions of registration may include precautionary measures on the product label to further reduce risk.

To reach its decisions, Health Canada applies modern, rigorous risk-assessment methods and policies. These methods consider the unique characteristics of sensitive subpopulations in humans (for example, children). They also consider the unique characteristics of organisms in the environment. These methods and policies also consider the nature of the effects observed and the uncertainties when predicting the impact of pesticides. For more information on how the Health Canada regulates pesticides, the assessment process and risk-reduction programs, please visit the Pesticides and Pest Management portion of Canada.ca.

Before making a final registration decision on spiropidion and A20262 Insecticide, Health Canada will consider any written comments received from the public directly related to the proposed decision in this consultation document.^{Footnote 3} Health Canada will then publish a Registration Decision^{Footnote 4} on spiropidion and A20262 Insecticide, which will include the decision, the reasons for it, a summary of comments received on the proposed registration decision and Health Canada's response to these comments.

For more details on the information presented in this summary, please refer to the Science evaluation of PRD2026-09.

What is spiropidion?

Spiropidion is a new tetramic acid insecticide that inhibits lipid biosynthesis and is mainly active through ingestion, showing very little activity through contact. This active ingredient has translaminar and systemic activity in plants, moving to both untreated new growth and the roots. Spiropidion affects egg production in females and immature stages of insects and is used against various sucking insect pests on a wide array of crops.

Health considerations

Can approved uses of spiropidion affect human health?

A20262 Insecticide, containing spiropidion, is unlikely to affect your health when used according to proposed label directions.

Potential exposure to spiropidion may occur through the diet (food and drinking water), when handling and applying the end-use product, and when coming into contact with treated surfaces. When assessing health risks, two key factors are considered:

• the levels at which no health effects occur and
• the levels to which people may be exposed.

The dose levels used to assess risks are selected to protect the most sensitive human population (for example, children and nursing parents). As such, sex and gender are taken into account in the risk assessment. Only uses for which the exposure is well below levels that cause no effects in animal testing are considered acceptable for registration.

Toxicology studies in laboratory animals describe potential health effects from varying levels of exposure to a chemical and identify the dose level at which no effects are observed. The health effects noted in animals occur at dose levels more than 100-times higher (and often much higher) than levels to which humans are normally exposed when pesticide products are used according to label directions.

In laboratory animals, the technical grade active ingredient spiropidion was of low acute toxicity by the oral and dermal routes of exposure, and was non-irritating to the eyes and skin. It was of slight acute toxicity via the inhalation route of exposure and caused an allergic skin reaction. Consequently, the signal word "CAUTION" and the hazard statements "POISON" and "POTENTIAL SKIN SENSITIZER" are required on the label.

The acute toxicity of the end-use product A20262 Insecticide, containing spiropidion, was low via the oral, dermal and inhalation routes of exposure. It was non-irritating to the eyes and skin, but caused an allergic skin reaction. Consequently, the hazard statement "POTENTIAL SKIN SENSITIZER" is required on the label.

Registrant-supplied short- and long-term (lifetime) animal toxicity tests, as well as information from the published scientific literature, were assessed for the potential of spiropidion to cause neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, chronic toxicity, cancer, reproductive and developmental toxicity, and various other effects. The most sensitive endpoints for risk assessment were effects on body weight, cholesterol and fetal development. There was an indication that the young were more sensitive than the adult animal. The risk assessment protects against the effects noted above and other potential effects by ensuring that the level of exposure to humans is well below the lowest dose level at which these effects occurred in animal tests.

Residues in food and drinking water

Dietary risks from food and drinking water are not of health concern.

Aggregate acute dietary (food plus drinking water) intake estimates indicated that the general population are exposed to less than 20% of the acute reference dose for spiropidion, and therefore are not of health concern. Aggregate acute dietary (food plus drinking water) intake estimates indicated that females 13–49 are exposed to less than 78% of the acute reference dose for spiropidion, and therefore are not of health concern.

Aggregate chronic dietary (food plus drinking water) intake estimates indicated that the general population and all population subgroups are exposed to less than 21%of the acceptable daily intake for spiropidion, and therefore are not of health concern.

The Food and Drugs Act prohibits the sale of adulterated food, that is, food containing a pesticide residue that exceeds the established maximum residue limit (MRL). Pesticide MRLs are established for Food and Drugs Act purposes through the evaluation of scientific data under the Pest Control Products Act. Given that dietary risks from the consumption of foods are shown to be acceptable when spiropidion is used according to the supported label directions, MRLs are being proposed as a result of this assessment (refer to PMRL2026-07, Spiropidion).

MRLs for spiropidion were determined from the acceptable residue trials conducted throughout Canada and/or the United States on potatoes, leaf lettuce, head lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, greenhouse-grown tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, orange, lemon, grapefruit, apple, pear, grape, and cottonseed can be found in the Science evaluation of PRD2026-09.

Occupational risks from handling A20262 Insecticide

Occupational risks are not of health concern when A20262 Insecticide is used according to the proposed label directions, which include protective measures.

Workers mixing, loading or applying A20262 Insecticide, and workers entering recently treated fields, orchards, vineyards and greenhouses can be exposed to spiropidion residues through direct skin contact or through inhalation. Therefore, the label specifies that anyone mixing, loading and applying A20262Insecticide must wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, chemical-resistant gloves, socks and shoes. The label also requires that workers do not enter or be allowed into treated areas during the restricted-entry interval (REI) of 12 hours except for certain activities conducted in treated leafy and brassica head and stem vegetables and grapes, which require extended REIs. Taking into consideration the label statements, the number of applications and the duration of exposure for handlers and postapplication workers, the risks to these individuals from exposure to A20262 Insecticide are not of health concern when the end-use product is used according to the proposed label directions, including extended REIs.

Health risks in residential and other non-occupational environments

Risks in residential and other non-occupational environments are not of health concern when A20262 Insecticide is used according to the proposed label directions.

Adults and children can come into direct contact with spiropidion residues when pome fruit trees on pick-your-own farms or residential properties are treated with A20262 Insecticide. Taking into consideration the label statements, the number of applications and the duration of exposure, the risks to individuals contacting treated trees are not of health concern when the end-use product is used according to the label directions.

Health risks to bystanders

Bystander risks are not of health concern when A20262 Insecticide is used according to the proposed label directions and spray drift restrictions are observed.

A standard label statement to protect against drift during application is on the label. Therefore, health risks to bystanders are not of concern when the end-use product is used according to the proposed label directions.

Environmental considerations

What happens when spiropidion is introduced into the environment?

When used according to label directions, environmental risks associated with spiropidion and its associated end-use product are acceptable.

Spiropidion enters the environment when its end-use product, A20262 Insecticide, is used to control aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs and two-spotted spider mites in labelled crops. Spiropidion is quickly broken down by water and microorganisms to form the transformation product, SYN547305. SYN547305 is further converted into several other transformation products, which are less toxic to the environment than spiropidion and SYN547305.

Spiropidion and its transformation products may move through soil to reach groundwater. They may also move off the treatment area in runoff to reach surface water. Spiropidion and its transformation products are not expected to be released into the air in significant quantities or to accumulate in the tissue of animals.

Without risk mitigation measures, the use of spiropidion at the proposed rates may cause adverse effects to aquatic organisms, bees and non-target terrestrial plants. The required risk mitigation measures to reduce risks to these organisms are described below. After a scientific review of the available information, Health Canada has concluded that environmental risks from the proposed uses of spiropidion are acceptable when used according to the label directions, which include the required risk mitigation measures.

Value considerations

What is the value of A20262 Insecticide?

A20262 Insecticide provides a new active ingredient for control of listed sucking pests on a wide variety of crops. A20262 Insecticide may contribute to the resistance management of pests by providing a new alternative that can be used in rotation with existing products.

A20262 Insecticide provides control or suppression of aphids, whitefly, two-spotted spider mites, and/or mealybugs on various leafy, brassica, stem, fruiting, and cucurbit vegetables both in the field and in greenhouses, as well as on grapes and pome fruits. While another Group 23 insecticide, spirotetramat, is registered for the pest/crop combinations listed on the A20262 Insecticide label, Group 23 insecticides are not known to have cross-resistance with other insecticide groups.

Measures to minimize risk

Labels of registered pesticide products include specific instructions for use. Directions include risk-reduction measures to protect human health and the environment. These directions must be followed by law.

The key risk-reduction measures being proposed on the label of Spiropidion Technical Insecticide and A20262 Insecticide to address the potential risks identified in this assessment are as follows.

Key risk-reduction measures - Human health

To reduce the potential exposure of workers to spiropidion through direct skin contact, workers mixing, loading and applying A20262 Insecticide and performing cleaning and repair activities must wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, chemical-resistant gloves, socks and shoes. Risks to workers and those exposed in residential and non-occupational environments are not of health concern when A20262 Insecticide is used according to the proposed label directions and restricted-entry intervals (REIs) are observed. Furthermore, a standard label statement to protect against drift during application is present on the label.

Key risk-reduction measures - Environment

• Precautionary label statements indicating toxicity to aquatic organisms, bees and non-target terrestrial plants.
• Application of spiropidion to highly bee attractive field crops (pome fruit) is not permitted during bloom.
• Application to fruiting vegetables and cucurbit vegetables is restricted to the evening when most bees are not foraging.
• Label statements advising users that spiropidion may harm brood of bees used in greenhouse production and that application should be avoided when bees are in the treatment area.
• Spray buffer zones up to 2 metres to protect sensitive aquatic and terrestrial habitat.
• Precautionary label statements with instructions to reduce runoff and leaching to groundwater.

Next steps

Before making a final registration decision on spiropidion and A20262 Insecticide, Health Canada will consider any written comments received from the public that are directly related to this proposed decision, such as comments directed to the Science evaluation, in response to this PRD2026-09 up to 30 days from the date of publication (by 5 July 2026) of PRD2026-09. If more time is required to provide comments, a request for an extension of an additional 15 days can be made. Your request must be submitted in writing to the Pesticides Publications Section within the 30-day consultation period.

Please note that, to comply with Canada's international trade obligations, consultation on the proposed MRLs will also be conducted internationally via a notification to the World Trade Organization.

Please forward all comments to Pesticides Publications Section, through the Public Engagement Portal (Public Engagement Portal forms – Consultation Comment). Health Canada will then publish a Registration Decision, which will include its decision, the reasons for it, a summary of comments received on the proposed decision and Health Canada's response to these comments.

Other information

When Health Canada makes its registration decision, it will publish a Registration Decision on spiropidion and A20262 Insecticide (based on the Science evaluation of PRD2026-09). In addition, the test data referenced in this consultation document will be available for public inspection, upon application, in the Pesticides Regulatory Directorate's Reading Room. For more information or if you have questions, please contact the Pesticides Information Service.