Evidence of meeting #57 for Health in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was human.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Executive Director, Food Safety, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Similar to my colleague, I'm not the spokesperson on the SPP initiative. However, I believe all of our departments are participating in some initiatives; so it may be of interest to have the official spokespersons come to the committee.
Executive Director, Food Safety, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Well, there are various departments involved. As it relates to—
Conservative
Executive Director, Food Safety, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
—food and food safety, both Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are involved, as is our foreign affairs department.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
So it would be somebody else from your department?
Do you have a name?
Executive Director, Food Safety, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
In our international affairs directorate, the executive director is Emmy Verdun.
Liberal
Susan Kadis Liberal Thornhill, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that.
I think it's very relevant as well, because there's also a question pertaining to our upcoming deliberations this week on the Quarantine Act, which is whether or not this SPP was involved in the decision to omit land conveyances from section 34. It's also something we're dealing with imminently, so I think it's very important that we get the information prior to, or at, that meeting.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
That's business of the committee and we'll discuss it afterwards, rather than doing it right now and taking time away from the witnesses here.
You still have more time, but are you done? Okay.
Madam Brown will continue.
Liberal
Bonnie Brown Liberal Oakville, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll ask Mr. Aucoin if the proposal to revoke the general maximum residue limit of 0.1 parts per million was made only within Health Canada or through the aegis of one of these international meetings.
Chief Registrar and Director General, Registration Directorate, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
This specific proposal has been, and is being, consulted on broadly within Canada. We have shared that proposal with our colleagues in the United States. We've also shared it with our colleagues around the world, in OECD countries in particular.
Liberal
Chief Registrar and Director General, Registration Directorate, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
Yes, we meet frequently.
Liberal
Bonnie Brown Liberal Oakville, ON
And would this revoking of 0.1 parts per million be one of the things you have recommended because of those meetings?
Chief Registrar and Director General, Registration Directorate, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
This is an initiative that Canada embarked on by itself after a lot of consultation with stakeholders; this was something we really needed to do.
Liberal
Bonnie Brown Liberal Oakville, ON
Okay.
So as you get more specific and try to have a maximum residue limit for each pesticide—
Chief Registrar and Director General, Registration Directorate, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
Correct.
Liberal
Chief Registrar and Director General, Registration Directorate, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
It's impossible to say what the final limits will be. They'll be case by case, based on a risk assessment specific to that pesticide and that crop.
Liberal
Bonnie Brown Liberal Oakville, ON
How will you conduct a risk assessment for each and every pesticide?
Chief Registrar and Director General, Registration Directorate, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
These limits are normally established in the context of manufacturers applying to us for registration of that pesticide for use in Canada. That entails a full environmental and human health risk assessment. One of the outcomes of that risk assessment is the establishment of a residue limit for all the uses of that pesticide on the crops for which they're going to use it.
Liberal
Bonnie Brown Liberal Oakville, ON
But what about the pesticides that are already licensed and approved at 0.1 parts per million? Are all those people going to come back and apply for something else?
Chief Registrar and Director General, Registration Directorate, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
Part of the proposal is that we would look at the current U.S. MRLs or tolerances for just specifically those ones that are below 0.1 parts per million. The proposal is that we would adopt those lower tolerances in the United States for those very specific pesticide and crop combinations.