. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CAN/345 
29 September 2008  
 (08-4578) 
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):  Lumpfish caviar (ICS Code:  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 a blend of a llura red, brilliant blue FCF, sunset yellow FCF 
and tartrazine as colouring agents in lumpfish caviar (available in English and French, 2 pages) 
6. Description of content:  Health Canada has received a submission to permit the use of a 
blend of allura red, bril liant blue FCF, sunset yellow FCF and tartrazine as colouring agents in 
lumpfish caviar at a level of 800 ppm. The maxi mum level of use for allura red, sunset yellow 
FCF and tartrazine, singly or in combination,  would be 550 ppm and the maximum level of 
use for brilliant blue FCF would be 300 ppm.  Evaluation of available data supports the safety and effectiveness of allura red, brilliant bl ue FCF, sunset yellow FCF and tartrazine as 
colouring agents in the production of lumpfish caviar.  
Therefore, it is the intention of Health Canada to recommend that the Food and Drug 
Regulations be amended to permit the use of allura re d, sunset yellow FCF and tartrazine as 
colouring agents in the production of lumpfish  caviar, singly or in combination, at a 
maximum level of use of 550 ppm, and to permit th e use of brilliant blue FCF as a colouring 
agent in the production of lumpfish caviar at a maximum level of use of 300 ppm with a total 
level of the four colours not to exceed 800 ppm. 
As a means to improve the responsiveness of the regulatory system, an Interim Marketing 
Authorization (IMA) is being issued to permit the immediate use of allura red, sunset yellow 
FCF and tartrazine up to a maximum level of use of 550 ppm and to permit the use of brilliant 
blue FCF up to a maximum level of use of 300  ppm in the production of lumpfish caviar, 
while the regulatory process is undertaken to fo rmally amend the Regulations.  The total level 
of use of the four colours should not exceed 800 ppm.  
The proposed regulatory amendments would be enabling measures to allow the sale of 
additional foods containing allura red, brilliant bl ue FCF, sunset yellow FCF and tartrazine as 
colouring agents.  The amendments are supporte d by the safety assessment and would 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/345 
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, 20 September 2008, Pages 2625-2626  (available in English and French) 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Immediate for this IMA. For the final regulation, normally 
within 12-18 months of publication of the Noti ce of Interim Marketing Authorization in the 
Canada Gazette , Part I, 20 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, 20 September 2008. 
12. Final date for comments:  4 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/2008/20080920/pdf/g1-14238.pdf  (Canada Gazette ) 
or  http://canadagazette.gc.ca/part I/2008/20080920/html/notice-e.html#d101
 (English) 
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/part I/2008/20080920/html/notice-f.html#d101 (French)