Comprehensive Pesticide and Heavy Metal Screenings for CPSC Members
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) requirements for pesticides and contaminants continue to change in export markets. Timely access to monitoring data that is representative of Canadian pulse exports is necessary to determine the potential market risk of these changing limits.
Pulse Canada is launching a monitoring program on whole pulses to help the industry assess and mitigate these market risks that may arise each crop year. This program will provide the necessary, relevant data to provide opportunities for risk mitigation if an export MRL issue is identified. To populate this dataset, members of the Canadian Pulse and Special Crops Trade Association (CPSC) can receive comprehensive, multi-residue pesticide and heavy metal screenings of pulses free of charge.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Pulse Canada is administering the testing program, including coordination of sample submission and distribution of test results to CPSC members. The University of Guelph Agriculture and Food Laboratory is providing the testing services for this program.
CPSC members can contact Greg Bartley at gbartley@pulsecanada.com to sign up for this program. Once registered, CPSC members will receive a sample submission form and pre-labelled sample submission bags with unique samples IDs to submit samples to the University of Guelph Agriculture and Food Laboratory for pesticide and heavy metal testing. CPSC members will be responsible for covering the cost of shipping the samples to the lab for testing. For administrative purposes, all test results will be sent to Pulse Canada and then forwarded to the respective CPSC member based on the unique sample ID associated with the test result. Pulse Canada will aggregate all test results into a database that removes any company specific identifier associated with the test result.
To develop a dataset that is representative of exports, CPSC members should follow Canadian Grain Commission guidelines for taking a representative sample to ensure submitted samples are closely representative of a rail car or container conveyance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will this information be utilized?
Pulse Canada will utilize the aggregated data set to assess the market risk of MRL changes in export markets and take action to mitigate the risk when possible. This can include providing comment to the Government of Canada to respond to WTO notifications of MRL changes, working with product registrants and growers to address potential residue levels of pesticides on pulses, and communicate potential market risks to the pulse industry, including CPSC members, as they arise.
How many samples can CPSC members submit through the program?
CPSC members will be able to submit multiple samples through the program. The total number of samples will depend on the number of CPSC members participating, samples submitted and distribution of samples among pulse types.
What is the level of detection?
The level of detection is less than 0.01 ppm for most active ingredients. Contact Greg Bartley at gbartley@pulsecanada.com for detailed information for each active ingredient and heavy metal.
What is the turnaround time for results?
The turnaround time for each submission is roughly 15 business days.
Is any ancillary information needed?
When CPSC members sign up for the program, a description of how the samples are collected and what the samples represent (a rail car, a container, a bin, multiple bins, etc.) will be requested.
Can CPSC members access the aggregated dataset?
Pulse Canada will not share a summary of aggregated test results with CPSC members. However, CPSC members can contact Greg Bartley at gbartley@pulsecanada.com to inquire about specific trends or observations within the dataset to assist in their own quality assurance programs.
Will test results remain confidential?
Pulse Canada will ensure CPSC members individual test results remain strictly confidential and will not be shared externally.
How long will the program be offered?
The current program will be administered until March 31, 2028.
QUESTIONS?
Contact Greg Bartley, Director, Crop Protection and Crop Quality with Pulse Canada to learn more.