Re-evaluation Decision RVD2023-02, Corn Gluten Meal and Its Associated End-use Products

Pest Management Regulatory Agency
16 January 2023
ISSN: 1925-1025 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-28/2023-2E-PDF (PDF version)

Summary

To obtain a full copy of Re-evaluation Decision RVD2023-02, Corn Gluten Meal and Its Associated End-use Products please contact our publications office.

Should you require further information please contact the Pest Management Information Service.

Table of contents

• Re-evaluation decision for corn gluten meal and associated end use products
• Re-evaluation decision for corn gluten meal
• Risk mitigation measures
• Next steps
• Other information
• Appendix I Registered products containing corn gluten meal in Canada

Re-evaluation decision for corn gluten meal and associated end use products

Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, all registered pesticides must be regularly re-evaluated by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to ensure that they continue to meet health and environmental safety standards and continue to have value. The re-evaluation considers information from various sources such as data and information from pesticide manufacturers and other regulatory agencies, as well as comments received during public consultations. Health Canada applies internationally accepted risk assessment methods as well as current risk management approaches and policies.

Corn gluten meal is registered as a herbicide to be used in areas such as; turf grass, residential lawns, municipal and commercial properties, golf courses, sports fields, parks, and sod farms for pre-emergent inhibition of seed germination of dandelion, crabgrass (smooth and large) and white clover. It is also registered for use in flower, vegetable, and fruit gardens for pre-emergent inhibition of seed germination of weeds. They are registered as commercial and domestic class products (formulated as a solid or granules). Currently registered products containing corn gluten meal can be found in the Pesticide Product Information Database and in Appendix I.

The Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2022-04, Corn gluten meal and Its Associated End-use Products^{Footnote 1} underwent a 90-day consultation period ending on 20 June 2022. PRVD2022-04 proposed continued registration of corn gluten meal and all associated registered end-use products for sale and use in Canada, with label updates to meet current labelling standards (Appendix IV of Re-evaluation Decision RVD2023-02, Corn Gluten Meal and Its Associated End-use Products).

Health Canada received two comments from registrants relating to the proposed label amendments. Commenters are listed in Appendix II of RVD2023-02. These comments are summarized in Appendix III of RVD2023-02 along with the responses by Health Canada. These comments resulted in revisions to the proposed label amendments for further clarity. However, the comments did not result in changes to the proposed re-evaluation decision as described in PRVD2022-04. A reference list of all information used as the basis for the proposed re‑evaluation decision is included in PRVD2022-04.

This document (RVD2023-02) presents the final re-evaluation decision^{Footnote 2} for the re-evaluation of corn gluten meal, including the label updates required to meet the current labelling standards. All products containing corn gluten meal that are registered in Canada are subject to this re-evaluation decision.

Re-evaluation decision for corn gluten meal

Health Canada has completed the re-evaluation of corn gluten meal. Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, Health Canada has determined that continued registration of products containing corn gluten meal is acceptable with the label updates (Appendix IV of RVD2023-02). Following a scientific review of the available information, Health Canada has determined that the health and environmental risks and the value of corn gluten meal continue to be acceptable provided that the required mitigation measures are implemented. Label amendments, as summarized below and listed in Appendix IV, are required.

Risk mitigation measures

Registered pesticide product labels include specific directions for use. Directions include risk mitigation measures to protect human health and the environment and must be followed by law. The required updated label statements, as a result of the re-evaluation of corn gluten meal, are summarized below. Refer to Appendix IV of RVD2023-02 for details.

Human health

Label improvements to meet current standards:

• Update to standard label statements (wording related to good hygiene practices)
• Keep pets away from treated area until a thorough watering or rainfall moves the applied product into the thatch layer

Environment

Label improvements to meet current standards:

• Updates to standard label statements (environmental precautions, directions for use, disposal and storage)

Next steps

To comply with this decision, the required label amendments must be implemented on all product labels no later than 24 months after the publication date of this decision document. Accordingly, both registrants and retailers will have up to 24 months from the date of this decision document to transition to selling the product with the newly amended labels. Similarly, users will also have the same 24-month period from the date of this decision document to transition to using the newly amended labels, which will be available on the Public Registry.

Refer to Appendix I for details on specific products impacted by this decision.

Other information

Any person may file a notice of objection^{Footnote 3} regarding this decision on corn gluten meal and its associated end-use products within 60 days from the date of publication of this Re-evaluation Decision. For more information regarding the basis for objecting (which must be based on scientific grounds), please refer to the Pesticides section of the Canada.ca website (Request a Reconsideration of Decision) or contact Health Canada’s Pest Management Information Service.

The relevant confidential test data on which the decision is based (as referenced in PRVD2022‑04) are available for public inspection, upon application, in the PMRA’s Reading Room. For more information, please contact Health Canada’s Pest Management Information Service.

Appendix I Registered products containing corn gluten meal in Canada