interim marketing authorization regarding the use of transglutaminase in a variety of standardized meat and poultry products health canada has received a submission to permit the use of the transglutaminase derived from streptoverticillium mobaraense strain s-8112 to improve the textural characteristics of a variety of standardized meat and poultry products. evaluation of available data supports the safety and effectiveness of using transglutaminase in these products at levels consistent with good manufacturing practice. the use of transglutaminase will benefit consumers by increasing the availability of a greater variety of quality meat and poultry products. it will also benefit industry by facilitating the manufacture of these food products. therefore it is the intention of health canada to recommend that the food and drug regulations be amended to permit the use of transglutaminase in prepared meat prepared meat by-product prepared poultry meat prepared poultry meat by-product solid cut meat with or without added phosphate salts solid cut poultry meat with or without added phosphate salts pumping pickle and cover pickle preserved meat preserved meat by-products sausage preserved poultry meat preserved poultry meat by-product meat loaf and meat by-product loaf at levels consistent with good manufacturing practice. 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 transglutaminase in the products listed above while the regulatory process is undertaken to formally amend the regulations. the proposed regulatory amendments would be enabling measures to allow the sale of additional foods containing transglutaminase as an agent to improve the textural characteristics of the food. the amendments are supported 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.