. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CAN/349 
15 October 2008  
 (08-4917) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English/ 
 French 
 
 
  
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  CANADA
  
If applicable, name of local government involved:     
2. Agency responsible:  Health Canada 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numb er(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Split peas, soybeans and fava beans (ICS: 67.080, 67.220) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable :  All 
trading partners 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Interim Marketing 
Authorization regarding the use of talc as a coating agent in split peas, soybeans and fava beans (available in English and French, 2 pages) 
6. Description of content:  Health Canada has received a submis sion to permit the use of talc as 
a coating agent in split peas, soybeans and fa va beans at levels consistent with good 
manufacturing practice.  Evaluation of available data supports the safety and effectiveness of 
talc as a coating agent in the production of these food products.  
Therefore, it is the intention of Health Canada to recommend that the Food and Drug 
Regulations be amended to permit the us e of talc as a coating agen t in the production of dried 
split peas, soybeans and fava beans at levels  consistent with good manufacturing practice. 
As a means to improve the responsiveness of the regulatory system, an Interim Marketing 
Authorization (IMA) is being issu ed to permit the immediate use of talc in the production of 
dried split peas, soybeans and fava beans, at  levels consistent with good manufacturing 
practice, 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 talc as a coating agent.  The amendments are supported by the 
safety assessment and would have low impact  on the economy and the environment.  
Consequently, the regulatory amendments ma y proceed directly to  final approval and 
publication in the Canada Gazette , Part II. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X ] food safety, [   ] animal health,  [   ] plant protection, 
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [   ] protect territory from other damage from pests    G/SPS/N/CAN/349 
Page 2  
 
  8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [ X ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:    
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:   Canada Gazette , 
Part I, 27 September 2008, Pages 2685-2686 (available in English and French) 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Immediate for this IMA.  Fo r the final regulation, normally 
within 12-18 months of publication of the Noti ce of Interim Marketing Authorization in the 
Canada Gazette , Part I, 27 September 2008. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Immediate for this IMA.  For the final regulation, 
normally within 12-18 months of publicati on of the Notice of Interim Marketing 
Authorization in the Canada Gazette , Part I, 27 September 2008. 
12. Final date for comments:  11 December 2008 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or  address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body: 
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notifica tion authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
The electronic version of the regulat ory text can be downloaded at: 
http://canadagazette.gc.c a/partI/2008/20080927/pdf/g1-14239.pdf   (Canada Gazette ) 
or  http://canadagazette.gc.ca/part I/2008/20080927/html/notice-e.html#d102
  (English) 
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/part I/2008/20080927/html/notice-f.html#d102   (French)