Should Pesticide Limits Be Raised on Lettuce, Herbs, and Berries?

Official title: Consultation on flonicamid, Proposed Maximum Residue Limit PMRL2024-24

Closed Regulations & Permits Agriculture & Food Health & Safety
Health Canada wants to raise the allowed amount of flonicamid—an insecticide—on several foods you might eat. We're talking bok choy, watercress, leaf lettuce, mint, sweet corn, blueberries, and fresh herbs. Some limits would triple. The government says the new levels are still safe for human health.

Why This Matters

Eat salads? Make smoothies with blueberries? Cook with fresh herbs? This decision affects how much pesticide residue is allowed on foods you buy at the grocery store. The limits on some items would jump significantly—dried mint leaves, for example, would go from 7 to 40 parts per million.

What Could Change

If approved, farmers could use more flonicamid on these crops without exceeding legal limits. Imported foods would also be allowed higher residue levels. The new limits would be entered into Health Canada's official MRL database and become legally binding.

Key Issues

  • Should pesticide limits on bok choy and watercress increase from 16 to 50 parts per million?
  • Should dried mint leaf limits increase from 7 to 40 parts per million?
  • Should new pesticide limits be set for fresh herbs, sweet corn, and blueberries?

How to Participate

  1. Review the proposed MRL decision document to understand the specific changes being proposed.
  2. The consultation is now closed. Comments were accepted until January 28, 2025.

What Happened

The consultation closed on January 28, 2025. Health Canada will consider all comments received before making a final decision. Once finalized, the established MRLs will be entered into the MRL database and become legally binding.

Key Documents