. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CAN/348 
15 October 2008  
 (08-4915) 
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):  Sausages (ICS: 67.120, 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  disodium EDTA in edible coatings for sausages (available 
in English and French, 2 pages) 
6. Description of content:  Health Canada has received a submission to permit the use of 
disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (disodium EDTA) as a sequestering agent in edible 
coatings for sausages at a maximum level of use of 77 ppm in fresh coated sausages.  
Evaluation of available data s upports the safety and effectiven ess of disodium EDTA as a 
sequestering agent in the production of this 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 disodi um EDTA as a sequestering agent in the 
production of edible coatings for fresh, pre-cook ed or other form of sausages, at a maximum 
level of use of 80 ppm in the coated sausage.  
As a means to improve the responsiveness of the regulatory system, an Interim Marketing 
Authorization (IMA) is being i ssued to permit the immediate use of disodium EDTA in the 
production of edible coatings for fresh, pre-cook ed or other form of sausages, at a maximum 
level of use of 80 ppm in the coated sausage, 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 disodium EDTA as a sequestering agent.  The amendments are supported by the safety assessment and woul d have low impact on the economy and the 
environment.  Consequently, the regulatory amendments may proceed directly to final 
approval and publication in the Canada Gazette , Part II. G/SPS/N/CAN/348 
Page 2  
 
  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    
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 2684-2685 (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 regulator y 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)