Frequently Asked Questions

HEALTH AND SAFETY PESTICIDES

Health Canada, whose number one priority is the health of Canadians, ensures that pest control products are safe for human health and the environment before they are approved for use in Canada. Over 350 top experts in a range of scienti c specialities are employed by Health Canada exclusively for this purpose and their work is internationally recognized for its quality.

ARENT PESTICIDES RESPONSIBLE FOR CAUSING A WIDE RANGE OF HEALTH PROBLEMS?

ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY SAY THERE IS A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE PESTICIDES MAY CAUSE A VARIETY OF HEALTH PROBLEMS.

These organizations are able to pick and choose what evidence they pay attention to and what evidence they dismiss. These allegations have been made for decades, but Health Canada evaluates all available and credible scienti c evidence and if these concerns were valid, Health Canada would revoke product approval.

DO PESTICIDES CAUSE CANCER?

No, pesticides are subject to Canadas strict regulatory requirements and they are not approved here unless Health Canada is con dent that they can be safely used.

SHOULD I AVOID EATING CERTAIN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES BECAUSE THEY HAVE HIGH LEVELS OF PESTICIDE RESIDUES ON THEM?

The idea that pesticide residues on food are somehow a health hazard is a myth. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, about 88 per cent of all fresh food items and 90 per cent of processed food items show no traces of pesticides at all. In those instances where trace amounts of pesticides are found, it is usually in the range of parts per million or less much, much too low to have any impact whatsoever.

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HEALTH AND SAFETY PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY

ARE FOODS THAT CONTAIN GENETICALLY MODIFIED INGREDIENTS SAFE TO EAT?

Yes. Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have been assessing these crops for over two decades and they have determined that these crops are safe to eat. In fact, regulatory agencies around the world, including the World Health Organization, have all endorsed GM crops.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS HAVE CREATED ALLERGIES THAT DIDNT EXIST YEARS AGO.

That is not true. There is no evidence of increased levels of allergens or the introduction of new allergens as a result of plant biotechnology. This is one of many factors examined by Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency before it will allow a plant biotechnology crop to be sold as a food for people.

HOW CAN WE BE SURE THERE WONT BE NEGATIVE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS?

Plant biotechnology has been around for decades already and nothing has indicated there is any reason for concern. More than one trillion meals containing biotech crop ingredients have been consumed with zero, reliably documented evidence of harm to human health.

KIDS ARE GETTING BIGGER (UNHEALTHIER) THESE DAYS AND ITS BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD. AFTER ALL, SOYBEANS & CORN ARE IN EVERYTHING

If in fact kids are bigger today than they used to be its for one of two reasons. First of all, people are getting better nutrition than ever before and many kids are bigger and stronger than the generations before them. If its obesity that youre referring to, that has nothing to do with plant biotechnology and everything to do with the amount of junk food and inactivity that is pervasive today.

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HEALTH AND SAFETY GENERAL

It is industrys responsibility to ensure all of the required scienti c studies are submitted to Health Canada for the approval process. That doesnt diminish the integrity of the process; it just places the burden for - and expense of - collecting the appropriate information where it ought to be: with the developer. Health Canada strictly de nes what information is required and demands that the studies meet international standards, and accesses data available from other, non-industry sources including reports from other parts of the world. Industry may be responsible for conducting and nancing the studies, but Health Canada determines whether the results meet the criteria it establishes for approving products.

HOW CAN HEALTH CANADA BE TRUSTED WHEN THE TESTS THEY USE ARE SUBMITTED BY INDUSTRY?

ARENT ORGANIC FOODS HEALTHIER FOR ME?

No, studies indicate whether a crop is grown organically or with the help of tools like pesticides or plant biotechnology does not generally impact the nutritional value of food.

ISNT IT JUST SAFER TO EAT ORGANIC FOOD?

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency requires all foods regardless of how they are grown be assessed by the same criteria. A bigger risk than how food is grown is how it is prepared. Improper food preparation and storage are a much greater risk to you than how what you eat is grown.

HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT PESTICIDES ARE SAFE FOR HUMANS WHEN THEY ARE DESIGNED TO KILL?

Pesticides are designed to kill pests, not people, and like many things that we use every day (household cleaners, cars), pesticides should be used according to label directions to ensure they are both safe and effective.

ENVIRONMENT

DONT GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS RUIN OUR BIODIVERSITY?

No, ensuring that plant biotechnology crops will not negativity impact biodiversity is a priority for our industry and a requirement of Canadas stringent regulatory process.

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WHATS TO STOP GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS FROM CONTAMINATING NON-MODIFIED CROPS?

While a certain amount of movement is normal in any agricultural setting, farmers of both plant biotech and organic crops have co-existed for over 15 years without any major dif culty. Farmers use a variety of well-established practices that help preserve their crop identity.

DONT PESTICIDES CONTAMINATE OUR WATER SUPPLY?

Part of what Health Canada looks at before it approves a pesticide is what kind of an impact the product will have on the environment, including drinking water, surface water and ground water. If this were a concern, the product would not be approved.

ARENT PESTICIDES AND GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER THAT IS KILLING BEES?

There are several theories for whats causing colony collapse disorder, including disease, parasitic mites and poor nutrition, to name just a few. Bees are a crucial component of agricultural success so our industry like the rest of the agricultural sector is anxious to ensure this threat to farming is addressed.

DONT BENEFICIAL INSECTS DIE AS A RESULT OF PESTICIDE USE, TOO?

Making sure pesticides work on what they are intended to work on and not what we want to protect is called speci city and it is part of Canadas regulatory system. Our industry must show that the products it designs target pests and leave bene cial insects alone. Furthermore, when and how pesticides are applied plays an important role in protecting bene cial insects. For example, to protect bees, apple farmers do not spray apples during bloom.

WHAT ABOUT FARMERS WHO OVER-USE PESTICIDES?

Pesticides are expensive tools to use so farmers are nancially motivated not to over-use our products. Todays farmer relies on integrated pest management, which means using the right tool at the right time, to ensure that they are managing pest pressures in their elds in the most effective way possible.

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URBAN
Every pesticide sold in Canada including those made speci cally for home use are assessed by Health Canada to ensure they do not pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment. The reason that urban pesticides exist is that tools are required to keep pest pressures from getting out of hand and destroying important things like lawns, trees and gardens which add value to our homes and make cities and towns nicer places to live.

WHY USE PESTICIDES IN THE CITY WHEN ITS JUST FOR COSMETIC PURPOSES?

ISNT IT MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE HEALTHY PEOPLE THAN NICE LAWNS?

It isnt an either-or question. Pesticides are subject to Canadas strict regulatory requirements and they are not approved in Canada unless Health Canada is con dent that they can be safely used.

WHY USE CHEMICALS WHEN THERE ARE NATURAL ALTERNATIVES?

Supporters of bans on urban pesticides often point to natural alternatives to bolster their argument. But a pesticide is designed to control pests, regardless of whether it is natural or synthetic. That is why Health Canada, in its efforts to protect Canadians, assesses all pesticides regardless of whether they are natural or synthetic in the same manner. A ban does little more than dramatically restrict the number of safe and effective pest control products for individuals, businesses and municipalities. In addition, the mistaken perception that natural means safe is bad enough that Health Canada has had to warn Canadians that various home remedies touted on the Internet are actually quite dangerous. The alert can be found on the PMRA web site.

COULDNT PEOPLE AVOID HAVING TO USE PESTICIDES IF THEY JUST TOOK BETTER CARE OF THEIR LAWNS?

Regardless of how well you maintain your lawn and garden, the fact is it is a living ecosystem that uctuates. That means that from time-to-time even the best-maintained spaces will face insect, weed and/or disease infestations that require intervention.

ISNT IT TRUE THAT PESTICIDES ARE PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS FOR CHILDREN (OR PETS OR PREGNANT WOMEN)?

Under the Pest Control Products Act, over 200 separate scienti c studies addressing a range of health and environment issues are undertaken before a product can be registered. Through this process special attention is paid to ensuring that all Canadians, including infants, children, pregnant women and the elderly, are speci cally protected. Health Canada understands that there are differences between segments of society (such as childrens hand to mouth contact) and they take these differences into account when determining whether to register a product for sale and use in Canada.

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