CropLife Canada says pesticides get rigorous testing
7 Nov, 2008TORONTO, CANADA — Millions of dollars and years of research go into developing pesticides that are safe and effective tools for farmers so that Canadians can have access to an affordable supply of safe and healthy foods.
"Health and safety are key commitments for our industry," Peter MacLeod, vice-president of chemistry with CropLife Canada, said. "It has to be because Health Canada is one of the toughest regulatory bodies in the world. They ensure our products are subject to the highest scientific standards prior to being approved for use."
Given Health Canada's strict regulatory requirements, the plant sciences industry conducts a battery of tests on products it hopes to have approved prior to submitting them for Health Canada's comprehensive scientific review and risk assessment.
Canada's strict regulatory process makes sure that these products will not harm workers, bystanders, or people who eat foods grown using these tools.
Particular attention paid to the specific differences between and potential activities of infants, children, seniors, and pregnant women. Canada's regulatory process also assesses, among other things, potential environmental impacts on natural ecosystems, groundwater, and non-target organisms.
"Often times people are unaware of just how thorough the pre-approval phase of work is and it leads them to have questions about how safe our products are to use," MacLeod said.
CropLife Canada is the trade association representing the manufacturers, developers and distributors of plant science innovations - pest control products and plant biotechnology - for use in agriculture, urban and public health settings.
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