WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CAN/469 
23 September 2010  
 (10-4856) 
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):  Formed meat, poultry and fish products  (ICS Code:  67.120, 67.220) 
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 
calcium lactate and sodium alginate in  formed meat, poultry and fish products  Language:  
English and French  Number of pages:  2   
6. Description of content:  Health Canada has received a submission to permit the use of 
calcium lactate as a source of calcium for al ginate gels, monoglycerides as an emulsifying 
agent and sodium alginate as a gelling agent in formed meat, poultry and fish products at maximum levels of use of 0.5% calcium la ctate, 0.5% monoglycerides and 0.5% sodium 
alginate.  Evaluation of available data suppor ts the safety and effectiveness of calcium 
lactate as a source of calcium for alginate gels, monoglycerides as an emulsifying agent and 
sodium alginate as a gelling agent in prepared meat, prepared meat by-product, preserved meat, preserved meat by-product, sausage, sausag e meat, meat loaf, meat by-product loaf, 
meat and meat by-product loaf, meat binder,  prepared poultry meat, prepared poultry meat 
by-product, preserved poultry meat, preserved poultry meat by-product, headcheese and unstandardized fish products at maximum leve ls of use consistent with good manufacturing 
practice. 
Therefore, it is the intention of Health Ca nada to recommend that the Regulations be 
amended to permit the use of calcium lactate as a source of calcium for alginate gels, monoglycerides as an emulsifying agent and sodium alginate as a gelling agent in prepared meat, prepared meat by-product, preserved meat, preserved meat by-product, sausage, 
sausage meat, meat loaf, meat by-product loaf, meat and meat by-product loaf, meat binder, 
prepared poultry meat, prepared poultry meat by-product, preserved poultry meat, preserved poultry meat by-product, headchees e and unstandardized fish products at 
maximum levels of use consistent  with good manufacturing practice. G/SPS/N/CAN/469 
Page 2  
 
  As a means to improve the responsiveness of th e regulatory system, an Interim Marketing 
Authorization is being issued to permit the immediate use of calcium lactate as a source of calcium for alginate gels, monoglycerides as an emulsifying agent and sodium alginate as a gelling agent in prepared meat, prepared meat by-product, preserved meat, preserved meat by-product, sausage, sausage meat, meat loaf , meat by-product loaf, meat and meat by-
product loaf, meat binder, prepared poultry meat, prepared poultry meat by-product, 
preserved poultry meat, preserved poultry meat by-product, headcheese and unstandardized 
fish products at maximum levels of use c onsistent with good manufacturing practice 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 calcium lactate as a source of calcium for alginate gels, 
monoglycerides as an emulsifying agent and s odium alginate as a gelling agent. The 
amendments are supported by the safety assessment and would have a 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. 
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, 11 September 2010, Pages 2440-2 441 (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, 11 September 2010. 
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, 11 September 2010. 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure    G/SPS/N/CAN/469 
 Page 3 
 
 
  12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  25 November 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/ p1/2010/2010-09-11/p df/g1-14437.pdf  (Canada Gazette ) 
or  http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2010/ 2010-09-11/html/notice-avis-eng.html#d108
 
(English) 
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2010/ 2010-09-11/html/notice-avis-fra.html#d108  
(French)