. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CAN/280 
11 January 2007 
 (07-0138) 
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 number(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):   Canned food products (ICS: 67. 080).  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Not 
stated. 
5. Title, language and number of p ages of the notified document:  Interim Marketing 
Authorization to increase the use of calcium disodium EDTA and the use of disodium EDTA in various sta ndardized canned products
 (Available in English and French;  2 pages). 
6. Description of content:  Health Canada has received submissions to increase the maximum 
level of use of calcium disodium EDTA from 130 p.p.m. to 365 p.p.m. and the maximum 
level of use of disodium EDTA from 150 p.p.m.  to 165 p.p.m. in various standardized 
canned products where already permitted and to extend their use to other standardized 
products with the exception of canned green beans, canned wax beans and canned peas. 
These specific standardized products that mu st comply with standards B.11.002 and/or 
B.11.040 and/or B.11.041 are as follows:  Adz uki beans, baked beans (brown beans), black 
beans (black turtle beans), black-eyed peas, dr ied (green) peas, fava beans (including extra 
large fava beans), flageolet beans, garbanzo beans (chick  peas), golden beans, Great 
Northern beans, Italian beans, lentils, Lima be ans (butter beans) [including small and large], 
Lupinis, marrow beans, mixed beans (including three-bean blend, six-bean blend, curry 
chick pea salad, fava and chick pea mix, Me xican salad, mixed bean salad), mung beans, 
navy beans (white pea beans), pigeon peas, pink beans, pinto beans, red kidney beans 
(including light red and dark red), Romano b eans, small red beans (Mexican red beans), 
Swedish brown beans, white kidney beans, and yellow-eye peas. 
Evaluation of available data supports the safety and effectiveness of the increased maximum 
levels of use of calcium disodium EDTA a nd disodium EDTA in these standardized canned 
products. 
The use of calcium disodium EDTA and disodium EDTA in the applications indicated 
above will benefit consumers through the availa bility of the quality canned products named 
above with improved shelf life, stability and ap pearance.  This use will also benefit the 
industry by facilitating the manufacture of these canned products. G/SPS/N/CAN/280 
Page 2  
 
   Therefore, it is the intention of Health Canada to recommend that the Food and Drug 
Regulations  be amended to permit the use of calci um disodium EDTA to a maximum level 
of 365 p.p.m. or disodium EDTA to a maximum level of 165 p.p.m. as a sequestering agent in the standardized ca nned products listed above. 
As a means to improve the responsiveness of th e regulatory system, an Interim Marketing 
Authorization (IMA) is being issued to pe rmit the immediate use of calcium disodium 
EDTA and disodium EDTA, as indicated above , while the regulatory process is undertaken 
to formally amend the Regulations
.  A revision to this notification will be published at the 
start of the amendment process and Members will be given the opportunity at that time to 
submit comments on this proposed measure.  
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   
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, 23 December 2006, Pages 4334-4335 (a vailable in Engl ish and French). 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Immediate for this IMA.  For the final regulation, will be stated 
in subsequent Revision or A ddendum to this notification. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Immediate for this IMA.  For the final regulation, will 
be stated in subsequent Revision or Addendum to this notification.  
12. Final date for comments:  This document is not for comment at this time.  A comment 
period will be provided in a Re vision of this notification. 
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 noti fication 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.ca/partI/2006/20061223/pdf/g1-14051.pdf