. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CAN/377 
28 January 2009  
 (09-0401) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
 
1. Notifying Member:  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):  Infant formula and sole source  nutrition products, including meal-
replacement products;  Other food products c ontaining milk and milk-derived ingredients 
(ICS Codes 67.100, 67.230) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ X ] All trading partners, or 
[   ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  The Government of Canada  responds to reports of 
melamine in food products  Language:  English and French  Number of pages:  4 and 5 
6. Description of content:  Health Canada has set the followi ng interim standards to limit the 
occurrence of  melamine in products contai ning milk and milk-derived ingredients: 
Infant formula and sole source nutrition pr oducts, including meal replacement products: 
• Maximum of 0.5 part per million (ppm) 
Other food products containing milk and milk-derived ingredients: 
• Maximum of 2.5 ppm 
Health Canada's interim standards for melami ne in products containing milk and milk-
derived ingredients are set to ensure that a ll age groups and segments of the population are 
protected, were developed using a consistent approach adopted by other food regulatory 
agencies in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, and are based on the 
WHO recommendation to use a TDI of 0.2 mg /kg bw/day for melamine (December 2008). 
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. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  Melamine is a synthetic 
chemical used in a variety of industrial app lications including the production of resins and 
foams, cleaning products, fertilizers and pesticides.   It is not naturally occurring and is not 
allowed to be added to food. G/SPS/N/CAN/377 
Page 2  
 
   Crystals begin to form in the urine when th e concentration of melamine within the body 
exceeds a certain threshold.  The resulting crys tallization can create stones, or calculi, in 
the kidney, ureter or bladder. 
Recently there was a melamine-contamination event in China where a high level of 
melamine-contaminated infant formula as we ll as products containing milk and milk-
derived ingredients were reported to be on the market.  According to a report from the 
Chinese Ministry of Health on this event, 294 000 infants have been affected by the 
melamine-contaminated infant formula as of th e end of November 2008.  Of those affected, 
more than 50 000 infants were hospitalized and 6 died. 
As a precaution, Health Canada, the CFIA a nd the Public Health Agency of Canada are 
working with their partners in the provinces and territories, the World Health Organization 
(WHO) and other international food regulatory  bodies to respond to this emerging issue. 
Health Canada has taken specific risk management measures such as setting the herein 
standards limiting the occurrence of melamine in food (as a result of intentional addition to 
food ingredients).  
9. Is there a relevant international standard ?  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 N°)     
[ X ] None Does this proposed regulation conform to  the revelant international standard? 
 [   ] Yes   [ X ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:    
10. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:   Health 
Canada's Human Health Risk Assessment Supportin g Standard Development for Melamine 
in Foods  (available in English and French)  
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/pubs/melamine_hra-ers-eng.php  (English) 
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/pubs/melamine_hra-ers-fra.php  (French) 
11. Date of entry into force (dd/mm/yy)/period of application (as applicable):  
10 December 2008 
[   ] Trade facilitating measure 
12. Agency or authority designated to handle 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 notified document can be downloaded at:  
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/c hem-chim/melamine/index-eng.php   (English) 
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/c hem-chim/melamine/index-fra.php   (French)