WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/CAN/248 
7 August 2008 
 (08-3760) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English/ 
 French 
 
 
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   CANADA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Department of Health 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:    
Canadian Enquiry Point 
200-270 Albert Street Ottawa, Ontario Canada, K1P 6N7 
Tel.: +1 613 238 3222 
Fax.: +1 613 569 7808 E-mail: enquirypoint@scc.ca
 
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Food allergens derived 
from any of the following foods: almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, wheat, kamut, spelt, triticale, eggs, milk, soybeans, crustaceans, sh ellfish, fish; gluten from the grains of the 
following cereals: barley, oats, rye, triticale, wheat, kamut and spelt; foods products with 
added sulphites; and standardized alcoholic beverages and vinegars (ICS: 67.040, 67.160, 
67.220) 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document:   Proposed Amendment 
to the Food and Drug Regulations (1220 — Enhanced Labelling for Food Allergen and 
Gluten Sources and Added Sulphites)  (29 pages, available in English and French) 
6. Description of content:   Scientific evidence has clearly linked certain food ingredients with 
adverse reactions when consumed by individuals with a food allergy, celiac disease or a sulphite sensitivity. These reactions can range from mild to severe and, in some cases, the 
reaction can progress to anaphylactic shock a nd death. For these indi viduals, avoidance of 
the specific food is a key element in the management of their condition. 
The current Food and Drug Regulations (“the Regulations”) require that the ingredients of 
prepackaged products be declared in descending order of their proportion in a list of ingredients on the label of most prepackage d products. However, subsections B.01.009(1) G/TBT/N/CAN/248 
Page 2  
 
  and (2) of the Regulations specifically ex empt components of certain ingredients, 
preparations and mixtures from declaration in the list of ingredients. Also, some of the 
common names which are currently permitted to be used in the list of ingredients do not 
provide sufficient information to sensitive consum ers to enable them to avoid foods that can 
trigger potential adverse reactions. As a result,  the information on the label is not always 
complete with respect to the needs of these consumers. 
The proposed regulatory amendments would e nhance the labelling of prepackaged products 
by requiring the mandatory declaration of the sources of the common food allergens and 
gluten when present in a prepackaged product. The declaration of a food allergen source or 
gluten source would be required in consiste nt and easy to understand terminology. For 
example, if casein is present in a prepackaged product, the word “milk” would be required 
to appear on the label of the product either in the list of ingredients or in a statement that 
begins with the words “Allergy and Intoleran ce Information – Contains:”. In addition, the 
common names for starches, modified starches, hydrolyzed protein and lecithin would be modified to provide information regardi ng the source from which these ingredients are 
derived (e.g. wheat starch). 
These proposed amendments would also require the declaration of added sulphites when 
present in a prepackaged product in a total amount of 10 parts per million (ppm) or more. This declaration would be required in a stat ement beginning with the words “Allergy and 
Intolerance Information – Contains:” followed by one of the common names for sulphites. 
These proposed regulatory amendments would not appl y to a food allergen or gluten that is 
present in the prepackaged product as a result of cross-contamination. 
Standardized alcoholic beverages and vinegars , referred to in paragraphs B.01.008(2)( f) and 
(g) of the Regulations, do not require a list of ingredients. For these products, the source of 
each food allergen and the source of each gluten present in the product, as well as added sulphites when present in the product in a total amount of 10 ppm or more, would have to be 
declared on the label in a statement beginni ng with the words “Allergy and Intolerance 
Information – Contains:”.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of human health 
8. Relevant documents:   Canada Gazette , Part I, 26 July 2008, Pages 2277-2305 (available in 
English and French) 
Health Canada Web site,  Food and Nutrition, Allergen Labelling:  
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/labe l-etiquet/allergen/index-eng.php  (English) 
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/labe l-etiquet/allergen/index-fra.php   (French) 
Proposed date of adoption:   
 Normally within 5 to 8 months of publication in the 
Canada Gazette , Part I. 9. 
Proposed date of entry into force:   On the date the measure is adopted. 
10. Final date for comments:   24 October 2008  G/TBT/N/CAN/248 
 Page 3 
 
 
  11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
The electronic version of the regulator y text can be downloaded at:   
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2008/20080726/pdf/g1-14230.pdf (Canada Gazette ) 
or  
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/pa rtI/2008/20080726/htm l/regle1-e.html  (English)   
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2008/20080726/html/regle1-f.html  (French)