. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CAN/306 
21 November 2007  
 (07-5118) 
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:  Department of Health 
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):  Veterinary drugs (ICS: 11.220, 67.040, 67.120) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable :  Not 
stated. 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Proposed Amendment to 
the Food and Drug Regulations (1527 - Maximu m Residue Limits for Veterinary Drugs) 
(available in English and French; 6 pages) 
6. Description of content:  Under the Canadian Food and Drug Regulations , all veterinary 
drugs must be approved by Health Canada prior to their sale and administration to prevent 
and treat diseases in animals.  Some drugs ar e only permitted in certain species not intended 
to be used for foods while others are used in  food-producing animals.  Amendments to the 
Regulations are proposed to promul gate safe limits for residues of seven veterinary drugs in 
foods originating from animals trea ted with these particular drugs.   These veterinary drugs are 
an important tool in the production of health y animals which are des tined for use as food.  
Acceptable limits of residues  of veterinary drugs in food commodities are called maximum 
residue limits (MRLs).  MRLs are the maximu m concentrations of residues, expressed in 
parts per million (p.p.m.) on a fresh weight ba sis, in edible tissues of food-producing animals 
as a result of the treatment of those animals w ith veterinary drugs.  An MRL is based on the 
type and amount of residue considered to pose no adverse health effect s if ingested daily by 
humans over a lifetime.  Thes e proposed amendments would list  new MRLs for altrenogest, 
danofloxacin, florfenicol, melengestrol acetate, ractopamine, trenbolone acetate and zeranol. 
Extensive studies have determined that the food commodities containing the specific 
veterinary drugs at levels up to the MRLs listed in the proposed amendments are safe for 
consumption.  These MRLs would apply to f oods produced domestically or imported into 
Canada. 
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/306 
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, 10 November 2007, Pages 3173-3178  (a vailable in English and French) 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Normally within five to eight months of publication in the 
Canada Gazette, Part I. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  On the date the measure is adopted. 
12. Final date for comments:  24 January 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/2007/20071110/pdf/g1-14145.pdf  (Canada Gazette)  
or 
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/part I/2007/20071110/html/regle5-e.html (English) 
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/pa rtI/2007/20071110/html/regle5-f.html  (French)