Glyphosate in Canada: PMRA decision, food MRLs and provinces

Glyphosate in Canada: registration, food residues and spraying rules

Glyphosate is allowed in Canada, subject to product labels and provincial restrictions. Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) granted continued registration with label changes on 28 April 2017.

As of 14 October 2026, the federal registry lists 203 current glyphosate products, including Roundup products. One is in phase-out.

Is glyphosate still registered in Canada?

Yes. The PMRA pesticide registry lists 202 glyphosate products with full registration and one in phase-out. These include 22 domestic (homeowner) products, commercial products, technical-grade actives and manufacturing concentrates. Approved use sites on technical-grade records include food and feed crops, forests and woodlots, industrial vegetation control, ornamentals and turf.

New registrations are still being issued. ENRICH GLYPHOSATE TECHNICAL (Reg. No. 36035) was registered on 10 July 2026 (registry). The product label sets the permitted uses.

Is Roundup still allowed in Canada?

Roundup products remain registered for sale and use, including domestic and commercial products. The registry lists:

• ROUNDUP CONCENTRATE NON-SELECTIVE HERBICIDE, Reg. No. 22627, domestic, expires 31 December 2030
• Roundup Ready-To-Use Refill, Reg. No. 31514, domestic, expires 31 December 2030
• ROUNDUP WEATHERMAX WITH TRANSORB 2 TECHNOLOGY, Reg. No. 27487, commercial, expires 31 December 2029
• ROUNDUP TRANSORB HC, Reg. No. 28198, expires 31 December 2031

MAD DOG PLUS (Reg. No. 30076) has a phase-out end date of 27 March 2027. That status applies to that product only, not glyphosate generally.

The PMRA re-evaluation decision (RVD2017-01)

PMRA published its work plan (REV2010-02) in 2010 and a proposed decision (PRVD2015-01) for consultation in April 2015. The final decision, RVD2017-01, came out on 28 April 2017 (Health Canada statement and re-evaluation FAQ).

The assessment covered food and drinking water, workers, bystanders and non-target organisms in the environment. Health Canada concluded that glyphosate products "are not a concern to human health and the environment" when used according to label directions.

Registrants had 24 months, until April 2019, to update labels. The required changes were:

• a 12-hour restricted-entry interval after application in agricultural areas
• no application by hand-wicking or hand-daubing
• apply only when drift to houses, schools, recreational areas and other places people live or gather is minimal
• spray buffer zones to protect non-target land and aquatic habitats
• precautions to reduce runoff to water, including a recommended vegetative strip
• environmental hazard statements

Buffer zones vary by product, formulation and application method. RVD2017-01 Appendix IV has separate tables for products with and without POEA (polyethoxylated tallow amine), a surfactant. Products with POEA need larger buffers. Health Canada found no risks of concern at no more than 20% POEA by weight, and reported that all registered products meet that limit (FAQ). For the actual distance, read the label of the product you're using.

Objections and the court challenge

Eight notices of objection followed the 2017 decision. On 11 January 2019, Health Canada rejected them, saying the concerns "could not be scientifically supported". Twenty Health Canada scientists who had not worked on the 2017 evaluation reviewed them, including the material known as the "Monsanto Papers".

One objector went to court. According to Health Canada's Question Period notes, the Federal Court dismissed the judicial review on 13 February 2020. On 2 February 2022 the Federal Court of Appeal allowed Safe Food Matters' appeal and quashed PMRA's January 2019 decision on that objection (second note). PMRA then had to reconsider whether to set up a review panel. The ruling was about how PMRA handled the objection. It made no finding on whether glyphosate is safe.

Is glyphosate safe? Cancer and IARC

In March 2015, IARC, the World Health Organization's cancer agency, classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2A) (RVD2017-01). Health Canada treats that as a hazard classification, not a risk assessment of actual exposure. At expected exposure, PMRA concluded that glyphosate is "unlikely to pose a human cancer risk" (RVD2017-01).

Health Canada's 2019 statement upheld its assessment after reviewing the objections. Its conclusion concerns use as labelled, not a claim that glyphosate is risk-free.

Glyphosate in food, MRLs and testing

Canada sets maximum residue limits (MRLs) per food in the MRL Database. It held 56 glyphosate entries on 14 October 2026. The main ones:

For glyphosate-free flour questions, distinguish grain from processed food. The database lists wheat at 5.0 ppm and wheat milling fractions, excluding flour, at 15 ppm. Neither entry is a flour-specific MRL. For flour or other processed foods, check the MRL Database and the rules for the finished food before assuming a limit.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency checked 7,955 samples in 2015-2017 (testing reports). Of these, 99.4% complied with Canadian MRLs. Health Canada found no health risk in the roughly 0.6% above the limit (glyphosate page). These are historical survey results, not a measure of current shipments.

The paused 2021 MRL increase

In May 2021 PMRA proposed higher import MRLs in PMRL2021-10. Examples were 15 ppm for dry beans (except soybeans) and 10 ppm for dry peas and lentils. Those figures did not take effect. On 4 August 2021 the government paused all proposed MRL increases, glyphosate included. It said the pause did not change how much or how often glyphosate can be applied in Canada.

PMRA's science advisory committee discussed the glyphosate dietary science on 26 June 2024, but that meeting made no decision. An Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada briefing book from October 2025 says some MRLs have since gone up, but "the pause has not yet been lifted for glyphosate." That is the latest official update. If you see 15 ppm for beans or 10 ppm for lentils quoted as Canadian law, it's the paused proposal. The limits in force are 4.0 for beans and lentils and 5.0 for peas.

Provincial rules on glyphosate spraying

Federal registration doesn't override provincial rules, and some provinces restrict glyphosate further. Ontario bans pesticides containing glyphosate, 2,4-D and diazinon for cosmetic purposes. That covers lawns, vegetable and ornamental gardens, patios, driveways, parks and schoolyards (Ontario.ca). There are limited exceptions, so check Ontario's rules before you rely on one.

Nova Scotia needs a provincial approval for any aerial application and any application on forested land (approvals page). In 2024, three approvals covered 1,837 hectares of aerial glyphosate spraying for forestry, with conditions on weather, separation distances and public notice (Nova Scotia news release). The province's current approvals list shows 2026 approvals, which expire on 31 December 2026. The list doesn't name the products, so read the individual approval and its conditions to see whether glyphosate is involved.

Quebec has not used chemical herbicides in its public forests since 1 January 2001 (MRNF).

What to watch

Glyphosate is not listed on PMRA's 2026-2031 re-evaluation work plan (REV2026-03, published 30 June 2026). Watch for a final decision on PMRL2021-10. PMRA's continuous oversight policy, finalized on 14 October 2025, sets systematic monitoring of new scientific information on registered pesticides. Check the registry, current product label and MRL Database before making a compliance decision. RegAffairs AI's answer on glyphosate in Canada brings together the registration figures, the 2017 decision and food limits with source links.