. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/CAN/556 
16 August 2011  
 (11-4079) 
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 numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Wine (ICS Codes:  67.160, 67.220) 
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:  Interim Marketing Authorization regarding the use of 
sodium Carboxymethyl cellulose to prevent the precipitation of tartrates in wine Language(s):  English and French  Number of pages:  2 
6. Description of content:  Health Canada has received a submission to permit the use of 
Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose to prevent the precipitation of tartrates in wine, at a 
maximum level of use of 0.01 per cent.  Evalua tion of available data supports the safety and 
effectiveness of the use of Sodium carboxyme thyl cellulose to prevent the precipitation of 
tartrates in the production of wine.  
Therefore, it is the intention of Health Ca nada to recommend that the Regulations be 
amended to permit the use of Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose to prevent the precipitation 
of tartrates in the production of wine, at a maximum level of use of 0.01 per cent.  
As a means to improve the responsiveness of th e regulatory system, an Interim Marketing 
Authorization (IMA) is being issued to permit the immediate use of Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, as indicated above, while the regulatory process is undertaken to amend the Regulations. 
The proposed regulatory amendments would be enabling measures to allow the sale of 
additional foods containing Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose to prevent the precipitation of tartrates.  The amendments are supported by the safety assessment and would have low 
impact on the economy and on the environment.  Consequently, the regulatory amendments may proceed directly to final approval and publication in Canada Gazette , Part II.  
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/556 
Page 2  
 
  8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 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:  Canada 
Gazette , Part I, 6 August 2011, Pages 2546-2 547 (available in English and French) 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Immediate for this IMA. For the final regulation, 
normally within 12-18 months of publication of the Notice of Interim Marketing 
Authorization in the Canada Gazette , Part I, 6 August 2011. 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :    
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  Immediate for this IMA. For the final regulation, normally within 12-
18 months of publication of the Notice of Interim Marketing Authorization in the Canada 
Gazette , Part I, 6 August 2011. 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  20 October 2011 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:    
13. Texts available from:  [ ] National Notification  Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:    
The electronic version of the regulatory text can be downloaded at:  
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/201 1/2011-08-06/pdf/g1- 14532.pdf#page=10  (Canada 
Gazette )  
or  
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2011/ 2011-08-06/html/notice-avis-eng.html#d107  
(English) 
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2011/ 2011-08-06/html/notice-avis-fra.html#d107  
(French)