Information Note – Changes to registered uses of lambda-cyhalothrin and some of its associated end-use products

Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency
3 February 2025

Lambda-cyhalothrin is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide used to control many types of insect pests in various settings. It is used on greenhouse food crops, terrestrial food and feed crops, shelterbelts, turf lawns, livestock, buildings, and ornamental plants. It has been registered for use in Canada since 1996.

On 29 April 2021, Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) published the Re-evaluation Decision RVD2021-04, Lambda-cyhalothrin and its associated end-use products. As a result of the re-evaluation decision, several uses were cancelled due to human health concerns. The full list of cancelled uses, which included animal feed uses, are included in the decision document.

Following the 2021 decision, Syngenta Canada Inc. and Adama Agricultural Solutions Canada Ltd., applied to re-instate the cancelled feed uses, based on new data and a proposal to reduce the number of times per season this pesticide could be used on turf. Additionally, Syngenta Canada and Sharda CropChem Limited Inc. requested to remove the uses of two other lambda-cyhalothrin products on apples and peaches.

After thoroughly reviewing all relevant data, including the consideration of vulnerable populations (such as infants, seniors, children, and pregnant people), Health Canada concluded that the reduced use frequency on turf and the removal of specific food uses eliminated the human health concerns. As a result, Health Canada has reinstated certain feed uses of the product. These changes are designed to ensure that lambda-cyhalothrin continues to meet the requirements for protection of human health, based on the best available science. Health Canada has issued a decision for each of the applications received from Syngenta Canada Inc. and Adama Agricultural Solutions Canada Ltd.

Outcome of the decisions:

Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, Health Canada is:

• Re-instating the following livestock feed uses
  • Canola/Flax - seed and meal
  • Field corn grain and milled by products
  • Popcorn grain
  • Legume vegetables (including pulses) -seeds
  • Soybean seeds, hulls, meal
  • Cereals - grains and milled by-products
• Cancelling registration for use on apples and peaches
• Reducing the use pattern on turf from being applied four times per season to being applied two times per season.

The following feed uses have not been re-instated, in other words, remain cancelled:

• Canola forage
• Field corn forage/silage, stover
• Popcorn stover
• Sweet corn forage, stover
• Legume silage, vine, hay
• Soybean forage, hay, silage
• Cereal forage, hay and straw
• Grasses (alfalfa, timothy) hay and straw
• Aspirated grain fractions (corn, soybeans and cereals)
• Potato culls

Corresponding product labels (refer to Appendix A) have been updated.

As a result of these decisions, new lambda-cyhalothrin maximum residue limits (MRLs) are proposed for animal food commodities and MRLs for apples and peaches are proposed for revocation. For more information, refer to the maximum residue limits section of this information note.

Health Canada's assessment

As part of the review of these applications, Health Canada completed human health and environmental risk assessments, and an assessment of the value (for example, efficacy) of all associated end-use products.

Health Canada reviewed a substantial amount of data and information to inform its decisions, including from grower groups, academia and other regulators. The diets of vulnerable populations (such as infants, seniors, children, and pregnant people) were considered in the dietary risk assessment. The review found that re-instating previously cancelled livestock feed uses would meet the requirements for protecting human health only under the following specific conditions:

• Re-instating certain livestock feed uses, but not all.
• Reducing the number of times that lambda-cyhalothrin could be applied to turf from 4 to 2 times per season.
• Cancelling the uses on apples and peaches.
• Revoking the MRLs on apples and peaches (meaning that apples and peaches with residues of this pesticide above 0.01 ppm cannot be imported into Canada).

The evaluation report for the applications submitted in 2021 and 2022 can be found in the Pesticide Product Information Database. Each evaluation report includes the data considered for each decision. To view the evaluation reports:

1. Filter by application number. Insert the application number for the evaluation report you would like to view. These can be found in Appendix A.
2. Click on the application number. Click on "Published Documents".
3. Click on the document name under "Published Documents". This will bring you to the request form for the evaluation report.
4. Enter the email address that you would like the documents sent to and confirm your email.
5. The evaluation report, including the data referenced, will be sent to you. Please allow at least 48 hours for a response.

Members of the public may inspect confidential test data either in-person in the Reading Room, located at the PMRA's National Head Office in Ottawa, Ontario, or remotely, as part of an ongoing pilot project. Please see the Guidance Document on Inspection of Confidential Test Data Supporting Pesticide Registration Decisions for more information.

Implementation

The following implementation steps will take effect as of 3 February 2025:

• The use of lambda-cyhalothrin must stop on apples and peaches. Users must follow the updated labels for acceptable uses.
• Feeding of certain lambda-cyhalothrin treated crops, including pulses, oilseeds and meal, and cereal grains and milled by-products to livestock is acceptable. Users must follow the directions for use on the updated labels.
• Maximum number of applications of lambda-cyhalothrin on turf must not exceed 2 per year. Users must follow the directions for use on the updated labels.

To find the updated labels, use the online pesticide label search tool.

Users must follow the instructions on the updated labels. Using a pesticide outside of the label directions is a violation of the Pest Control Products Act.

The Health Canada-approved label is the official document for enforcement purposes. In the event of any discrepancy with the contents of this information note, the information on the label shall prevail.

Maximum residue limits

Internationally, MRLs are used to facilitate trade of food commodities between countries. To comply with Canada's international trade obligations, consultation on proposed MRLs for lambda-cyhalothrin is also being conducted internationally by notifying the World Trade Organization, as coordinated by the Canada's Notification Authority and Enquiry Point.

Following the evaluation of all available data, new lambda-cyhalothrin MRLs are proposed for animal food commodities (such as milk and eggs) to facilitate the re-instatement of certain feed uses. Dietary risks from exposure to residues of lambda-cyhalothrin in these animal food commodities together with the proposed revocation of the MRLs for apples and peaches were found to meet the requirements for protection of human health. Thus, the animal food commodities that contain lambda-cyhalothrin residues are considered safe to eat.

On 3 February 2025, the PMRA published for consultation Proposed Maximum Residue Limit PMRL2025-03, Lambda-cyhalothrin, the purpose of which will be to:

• Propose the following lambda-cyhalothrin MRLs for animal food commodities: 0.03 ppm for fat of goats, hogs, horses and sheep, and 0.01 ppm for eggs, milk, meat and meat by-products of goats, hogs, horses, and sheep, fat, meat and meat by-products of poultry, as a result of re-instatement of certain feed uses.
• Propose revoking the MRLs of 0.3 ppm and 0.5 ppm for apples and peaches, respectively. After revocation, residues of lambda-cyhalothrin on apples and peaches will be regulated under the currently established MRL of 0.01 ppm for "All food commodities (other than those listed in this item)".

How to get involved

To comment on PMRL2025-03:

• Step 1: Open "View the proposed MRL decision" below to access the document.
• Step 2: Submit comments to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency Publications Section

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

Health Canada will consider all comments received up to 75 days from the date of publication of this document (by 19 April 2025) before making a final decision on the proposed MRLs for lambda-cyhalothrin. The established MRL will be legally in effect as of the date it is entered into the MRL database.

View Proposed MRL decision

For more information

• Re-evaluation decision RVD2021-04, Lambda-cyhalothrin and its associated end-use products
• Pesticides in Canada
• Maximum residue limits, human health, and food safety
• Pesticides compliance and enforcement: Overview
• Pesticide Product Information Database

Appendix A

List of affected products with updated labels

Product name	Registration number	Application number	Summary of submitted request
Lambda-Cyhalothrin CS Insecticide	28946	2021-5380	Reduce turf use pattern
Voliam Xpress Insecticide	30325	2021-5384	Re-instatement of certain feed uses
Matador 120EC Insecticide	24984	2021-5388	Re-instatement of certain feed uses Remove apples and peaches
Demand CS Insecticide	27428	2021-5392	Reduce turf use pattern
Silencer 120 EC	29052	2022-1218	Re-instatement of certain feed uses Remove apples and peaches
Zivata	32427	2022-1219	Re-instatement of certain feed uses Remove apples and peaches
WARRIOR Insecticide	26837	2024-6055	Remove apples and peaches
Labamba Insecticide	33576	2024-6098	Remove apples and peaches