WORLD TRADE G/SPS/N/CAN/33
15December 1997
ORGANIZATION
(97-5486)
Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
NOTIFICATION
1. Member toAgreement notifying: CANADA
Ifapplicable, name oflocal government involved:
2. Agency responsible: Department ofHealth
3. Products covered (tariff item number(s) asspecified innational schedules deposited with
theWTO. ICSnumbers may beprovided inaddition, where applicable): Folic acid
4. Title andnumber ofpages ofthenotified document: Proposed Amendment totheFood
andDrug Regulations (1066) (pages 3702-3705)
5. Description ofcontent: Thisschedule ofamendment totheFood andDrug Regulations
proposes that:(1)thecurrent voluntary fortification offlour andenriched pasta with
folicacidbechanged toamandatory requirement; and(s)theCanadian levels of
nutrient addition toflour andenriched pasta beharmonized withthose oftheUnited
States.
Folic Acid
Recent research hasdemonstrated thatthere isarelationship between anincreased
intake oftheBvitamin, folicacid, bywomen forafewweeks before andafter
conception, andareduced riskofneural tubedefects (NTDs) suchasspina bifida in
newborn infants. Consequently, onDecember 25,1996, regulations were published in
theCanada Gazette, PartII,which provided fortheoptional addition offolicacidto
flour atamaximum levelof0.15milligram per100grams andtopasta atamaximum
levelof0.27milligram per100grams.
Theoptimal leveloffolicacidfortification forpreventing NTDs isasyetunknown.
TheUnited States haschosen levels thatareconsidered tobesafeforlongterm
consumption byallsegments ofthepopulation andthatwillimprove dietary folicacid
intakes ofwomen whocould become pregnant. TheDepartment ofHealth believes it
isintheinterest ofpublic health toharmonize withtheUnited States (U.S.) levels and
./.G/SPS/N/CAN/33
Page2
tomake theaddition offolicacidmandatory inbothflour andenriched pasta. The
folicacidintakes ofsignificant proportion ofCanadian women tendtobelowthan
recommended forgeneral nutritional health aswellasfortheprevention ofneural tube
defects. Thisaction would, therefore, beconsistent withtheDepartment ofHealth ’s
policy onthefortification offoodtoprevent orcorrect adeficiency ofanutrient in
specific groups ofthepopulation.
6. Objective andrationale: Protection ofhuman health
7. Aninternational standard, guideline orrecommendation does notexist [].
Ifaninternational standard, guideline orrecommendation exists, whenever possible,
identify deviations:
8. Relevant documents andlanguage(s) inwhich these areavailable: Canada Gazette, PartI,
29November 1997
9. Proposed date ofadoption: Notstated
10. Proposed date ofentry intoforce: Notstated
11. Final date forcomments: 10February 1998
Agency orauthority designated tohandle comments: National Enquiry Point
12. Texts available from: National enquiry point [X]oraddress, telefax number andE-mail
address (ifavailable) ofother body: