. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/CAN/77
30 November 1999
(99-5147)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
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, whereapplicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Oxyfluorfen
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Proposed Amendment to the Food
and Drug Regulations (1156 – Oxyfluorfen) (pages 3430-3432)
5. Description of content:  Oxyfluorfen is registered under the  Pest Control Products Act  as a
herbicide for the control of certain broadleaf weeds on onions and raspberries.  By virtue of
subsection B.15.002(1) of the Food and Drug Regulations , the Maximum Residue Limit
(MRL) for residues of oxyfluorfen resulting from this use in any food is 0.1 parts per
million (ppm).
The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), of Health Canada, has recently
approved an application to amend the registration of oxyfluorfen in order to allow its use as
a ground treatment for the pre-mulching to dormant stage of strawberry plants.  This
proposed regulatory amendment would establish an MRL for residues of oxyfluorfen
resulting from this use in strawberries, in order to permit the sale of food containing theseresidues.
After the review of all available data, the PMRA has determined that an MRL for
oxyfluorfen, of 0.05 ppm in strawberries would not pose an unacceptable health risk to the
public.  This new MRL harmonizes with that established by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency.
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, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has established a time-limited tolerance of 0.05 ppm for terminal residues of oxyfluorfen
and its metabolites containing the diphenyl ether linkage in/on strawberries.  The tolerance
expires 15 April 1999.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Canada Gazette,
Part I, 20 November 1999 (Available in English and French)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Not stated.G/SPS/N/CAN/77
Page 2
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  Not stated.
11.Final date for comments:  19 January 2000
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:           