interim marketing authorization regarding the use of sodium acetate as a preservative in standardized and unstandardized preparations of meat meat by-products poultry meat and poultry meat by-products that have been cooked or cured health canada has received a submission to permit the use of sodium acetate as a preservative in standardized and unstandardized preparations of meat meat by-products poultry meat and poultry meat by-products that have been cooked or cured. this would include fresh and frozen prepared meals salads spreads and soups containing meat or poultry flakes of meat sausages of the type salami wiener frankfurter blood sausage black pudding blood pudding blood and tongue sausage potted meat meat pate liver paste liver spread pate de foie meat loaf meat lunch luncheon meat cooked ham corned beef cooked meat roll meat pie brawn and headcheese all at levels consistent with good manufacturing practice. evaluation of available data supports the safety and effectiveness of sodium acetate as a preservative in the production 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 sodium acetate as a preservative in certain standardized and unstandardized foods containing cooked or cured meat meat by-products poultry meat poultry meat by-products as listed above 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 sodium acetate in the production of standardized of flakes of meat sausages of the type salami wiener frankfurter blood sausage black pudding blood pudding blood and tongue sausage potted meat meat pate liver paste liver spread pate de foie meat loaf meat lunch luncheon meat cooked ham corned beef cooked meat roll meat pie brawn headcheese meat spread and unstandardized foods containing cooked or cured meat or poultry at levels consistent 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 sodium acetate as a preservative. 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