G/SPS/N/CAN/1129  
 
15 August 2017  
(17-4369) Page: 1/3 
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 w ith the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Patulin in apple ju ice and unfermented apple cider 
(ICS Code: 67.160.20)  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading part ners  
[ ] Specific regions or countries:  
5. Title of the notified document: Health Canada's Proposal to transfer the maximum 
level (ML) for patulin in apple juice and unfermented apple cider from the List of 
Maximum Levels for Various Chemical Contaminan ts in Foods  to the regulatory List of 
Contaminants and Other Adulterating Substances in Foods  - Reference Number: 
NOP/AVP -C-2017-4. Language(s): English and French . Number of pages: 5 and 5  
6. Description of content: The List of Maximum Levels for Various  Chemical 
Contaminants in Foods  specifies an ML of 50 parts per billion (p.p.b.) (expressed in the 
list as 50 µg/kg or micrograms per kilogram) for patulin in apple juice, including the 
apple juice portion of any juice blends or drinks, and unfermented app le cider. If these 
foods contain patulin at concentrations above 50 p.p.b., they would be considered in 
violation of section 4(1) of the Food and Drugs Act . 
The existing ML for patuli n in apple juice was established by Health Canada in 2011. The 
Department has confirmed that this ML continues to be health protective and relevant in 
the Canadian context.  
Health Canada is proposing to transfer the existing ML for patulin in apple juice, 
including the apple juice portion of any juice blends or drinks, and unfermented apple 
cider from the List of Maximum Levels for Various Chemical Contaminants in Foods  to 
the regulatory List of Contaminants and Other Adulterating Substances in Food s, there by 
removing this ML from the first list. It is the intention of Health Canada to modify Part 2 
of the List of Contaminants and Other Adulterating Substances in  Food as outlined. 
Footnote 1, which explains that MLs also apply to the food when it is present as an 
ingredient in another food, would make the qualifying text that follows the current listing 
of "apple juice" redundant. Therefore, the text "including the apple juice portion of any 
juice blends or drinks" will not appear after apple juice in the pro posed listing.  
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.  G/SPS/N/CAN/1129  
 
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  8. Is there a relevant international standard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) : CODEX STAN 193 -1995 
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter nu mber) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
intern ational 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 4 August  2017 (available in English and French):  
https://www.canada.ca/en/health -canada/services/food -nutrition/public -involvement -
partnerships.html  (English)  
https://www.canada.ca/fr/sante -canada/services/aliments -nutrition/participation -public -
partenariats.html  (French)   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : The p roposed ML will be legally enabled 
once it is published in Health Canada's  List of Contaminants and Other Adulterating 
Substances in Foods . 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : The ML noted in this document comes into force the day on 
which the modifications are made to the  List of Contaminants and Other Adulterating 
Substance s in Foods . 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 17 October 2017  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Autho rity, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
Canada's Notification Authority and Enquiry Point  
Global Affairs Canada  
Technical Barriers and Regulations  
111, promenade Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0 G2 
Canada  
Tel: +(343) 203 4273  
Fax: +(613) 943 0346  
E-mail: enquirypoint@international.gc.ca  G/SPS/N/CAN/1129  
 
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  13. Text(s)  available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
"Health Canada's Proposal to transfer the maximum level (ML) for patulin in apple juice 
and unfermented apple cider from the List of Maximum Levels for Various Chemical 
Contaminants in Foods  to the regulatory List of Contaminants and Other Adulterating 
Substances in Foods  - Reference Number: NOP/AVP -C-2017-4" is available through the 
following weblink:  
https://www.canada.ca/en/health -canada/services/food -nutrition/public -involvement -
partnerships/proposal -update -maximum -levels -patulin -apple -cider.html  (English)  
https://www.canada.ca/fr/sante -canada/services/aliments -nutrition/participation -public -
partenariats/proposition -visant -mettre -jour-concentrations -maximal -patuline -jus-
pomme -brut.html  (French)  
or requested from:  
Canada's Notification Authority and Enquiry Point  
Global Affairs Canada  
Technical Barriers and Regulations  
111, promenade Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2  
Canada  
Tel: +(343) 203 4273  
Fax: +(613) 943 0346  
E-mail: enquirypoint@international.gc.ca