. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CAN/400 
20 November 2009  
 (09-5761) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd 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):  Frozen cooked shrimp (ICS Code:  67.120, 67.150) 
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 tripolyphosphate to reduce processing lo sses and to reduce thaw drip in frozen 
cooked shrimp   Language:  English and French  Number of pages:  2   
6. Description of content:  Health Canada has received a submission to permit the use of 
sodium tripolyphosphate, to reduce processing lo sses and to reduce thaw drip, in frozen 
cooked shrimp at a maximum level of total added phosphate not to exceed 0.5 per cent, 
calculated as sodium phosphate, dibasic.  Eval uation of available data supports the safety 
and effectiveness of sodium tripolyphosphate in the production of th is food product. 
Therefore, it is the intention of Health Canada to recommend that the Food and Drug 
Regulations  be amended to permit the use of sodi um tripolyphosphate, to reduce processing 
losses and to reduce thaw drip, in the productio n of frozen cooked shrimp, at a maximum 
level of total added phosphate not to exceed 0.5 per cent, calculated as sodium phosphate, 
dibasic. 
As a means to improve the responsiveness of th e regulatory system, an Interim Marketing 
Authorization is being issued to permit the i mmediate use of sodium tripolyphosphate, as 
indicated above, while the regulatory pro cess is undertaken to amend the Regulations. 
The proposed regulatory amendments would be enabling measures to allow the sale of 
frozen cooked shrimp containing sodium tripol yphosphate to reduce processing loss and to 
reduce thaw drip.  The amendments are s upported 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 the Canada Gazette , 
Part II. G/SPS/N/CAN/400 
Page 2  
 
  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. 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, 7 November 2009, Pages 3336- 3337 (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, 7 November 2009. 
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, 7 November 2009. 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  21 January 2010 
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/ p1/2009/2009-11-07/p df/g1-14345.pdf  (Canada Gazette ) 
or  http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2009/ 2009-11-07/html/notice-avis-eng.html#d118
 
(English) 
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2009/ 2009-11-07/html/notice-avis-fra.html#d118  
(French)