Pesticides Meet Strict Regulation Standards in Canada

Did you know: Pesticides are one of the most stringently regulated products in Canada. Pesticides are regulated by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) which requires that all pesticides undergo a thorough scientific review and safety assessment to ensure they meet Health Canada's standards. Only those products that meet the strict health and environmental standards and are shown to have value, can be registered by the PMRA for use or sale in Canada.

Before a pesticide can be registered in Canada it must go through a series of tests. These tests not only ensure the pesticides works, they also make sure the product will not affect species that are not the intended target.

Once these tests are completed, there are usually thousands of pages of data that must be submitted for review to Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), where there are over 300 scientists hired to evaluate pesticides. They complete a thorough scientific review and safety assessment of the data submitted.

“The process to have a pesticide registered in Canada can take an average of nearly 10 years and costs over $256 million. That's a big investment so the manufacturers ensure the products they submit for registration are safe and work the way they are intended to,” says Lorne Hepworth, president of CropLife Canada, the organization that represents developers, manufacturers and distributors of pesticides.

After its review, the PMRA only registers products that meet its strict standards, Hepworth points out.

But the process doesn't end when the product reaches the shelf. The PMRA also keeps track of any research on the products from international organizations and each product must be re-evaluated at least every 15 years to ensure the products continue to be safe for use.

-- News Canada