. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CAN/335 
9 June 2008  
 (08-2676) 
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):  Guar gum as a stabilizing agent in bread products (ICS:  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 guar gu m as a stabilizing agent in bread products 
(available in English and French, 1 page) 
6. Description of content:  Health Canada has received a submission to permit the use of guar 
gum as a stabilizing agent in bread products subject to standards in Division 13 of the Food 
and Drug Regulations .  Evaluation of available data suppor ts the safety and effectiveness of 
guar gum as a stabilizing agent in bread products.  
Therefore, it is the intention of Health Canada to recommend that the Food and Drug 
Regulations  be amended to permit the use of guar gum as a stabilizing agent in standardized 
bread products 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 i ssued to permit the immediat e use of guar gum in bread 
products subject to standards in Division 13 of the Food and Drug Regulations , at levels 
consistent with good manufacturi ng practice, while the regulatory  process is undertaken to 
formally amend the Regulations. 
The proposed regulatory amendments would be enabling measures to allow the sale of 
additional foods containing guar gum as a stabilizing agent. 
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/335 
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, 31 May 2008, Page 1671 (ava ilable 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, 31 May 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, 31 May 2008. 
12. Final date for comments:  14 August 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 regulator y text can be downloaded at:   
http://canadagazette.gc.c a/partI/2008/20080531/pdf/g1-14222.pdf   (Canada Gazette ) 
or  http://canadagazette.gc.ca/part I/2008/20080531/html/notice-e.html#d118
  (English) 
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/part I/2008/20080531/html/notice-f.html#d118   (French)