G/SPS/N/CAN/952  
 
16 September 2015  
(15-4715)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English/French  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: CANADA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible: Health Canada 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Ethyl acetate and methyl alcohol (ICS Codes: 67.220, 
67.140, 67.180) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document: Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Carrier 
or Extraction Solvents  to Correct the Entries for Ethyl Acetate Permitted for Use as an 
Extraction Solvent for Decaffeinating Green Coffee Beans and Tea Leaves and for Methyl 
Alcohol Permitted for Use as an Extraction Solvent in Manufacturing Steviol Glycosides  
Language(s): English and French  Number of pages: 4 and 4 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/SPS/CAN/15_3606_00_e.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/SPS/CAN/15_3606_00_f.pdf  
6. Description of content: Health Canada's Food Directorate has become aware of two 
instances where editorial errors had been listed within the Lists of Permitted Food 
Additives . Both instances were determined to be the result of past editorial errors where 
maximum residue limits were incorrectly listed as maximum levels of use. The instances 
in question were limited to the entries within the List of Permitted Carrier or Extraction 
Solvents  (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securi t/addit/list/15-extraction-eng.php ) for 
ethyl acetate permitted for use as an extraction solvent for decaffeinating green coffee 
beans and tea leaves, and for methyl alcohol permitted for use as an extraction solvent 
in manufacturing steviol glycosides. 
Therefore, Health Canada has modified the List of Permitted Carrier or Extraction 
Solvents  to correct these permitted food additive uses, effective 3 September 2015. The 
complete details of these corrections are summarized within the notice of modification 
document, which is available below. 
The purpose of this communication is to publically announce the Department's decision 
in this regard and to provide the appropriate contact information for any inquiries or for 
those wishing to submit any new scientific information relevant to the safety of these food additives. 
Health Canada's Food Directorate is committed to reviewing any new scientific 
information on the safety in use of any food additive, including ethyl acetate and methyl 
alcohol. Anyone wishing to submit new scientific information on the use of these food additives or to submit any inquiries may do so in writing, by regular mail or 
electronically. G/SPS/N/CAN/952 
 
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  7. Objective and rationale: [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial  n u m b e r  o f  C o d e x  
standard or related text)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[X] None Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
[ ] Yes   [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available: 
Health Canada's Food and Nutrition - "Public Involvement and Partnerships" Website, posted 3 September 2015 (available in English and French):  
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/consult/index-eng.php  (English) 
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/consult/index-fra.php  (French) 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : The proposed food additive use will be 
legally enabled once it is published in Health Canada's List of Permitted Carrier or 
Extraction Solvent s. 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 3 September 2015 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : The food additive use noted in this document comes into force 
on the day on which the modifications are made to the List of Permitted Carrier or 
Extraction Solvents . 
[X] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 17 November 2015 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
13. Text(s) available from: [ ] National Notifi cation Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
The "Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Carrier or Extraction Solvents to 
Correct the Entries for Ethyl Acetate Permitted for Use as an Extraction Solvent for 
Decaffeinating Green Coffee Beans and Tea Leav es and for Methyl Alcohol Permitted for 
Use as an Extraction Solvent in Manufacturing Steviol Glycosides" is available through 
the following weblink:  
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/cons ult/nom-adm-0059/index-eng.php  (English) 
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/cons ult/nom-adm-0059/index-fra.php  (French)