Health Canada modernizes food additive rules for clarity and improved standards.
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) are updating food regulations to modernize the standards outlined in Canada’s Food and Drug Regulations (FDR). This involves removing most food additive provisions from the compositional standards and instead listing permitted uses of food additives in the Lists of Permitted Food Additives.
These updates are part of proposed regulatory amendments aimed at food additives, compositional standards, microbiological criteria, and analysis methods, initially published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, in November 2023.
Currently, the standards for flavoring products like “(naming the flavour) Extract or Essence” and “(naming the flavour) Flavour,” under sections B.10.003 and B.10.005 of the FDR, allow for the inclusion of food colors, Class II and IV preservatives, and, in the case of “Flavour,” emulsifying agents. However, these standards lack clarity on maximum usage levels and fail to specify which additives can be used. Additionally, there are no corresponding entries in the Lists of Permitted Food Additives.
To address this gap, Health Canada plans to define clear guidelines for the use of food colors and preservatives in “Extract or Essence” products, as well as for colors, preservatives, and emulsifying agents in “Flavour” products. These guidelines will be added to the Lists of Permitted Food Additives and integrated directly into the FDR. The changes are based on current functional class provisions in the compositional standards and feedback from industry on additive usage in these products.
Health Canada clarified that the new list entries will cover food additives used directly in flavoring preparations. However, they will not apply to premixes where additives are intended to function in the final food product made with the premix. Such premixes will be addressed in separate provisions, to be included in the final version of the amended regulations, expected to be published in Canada Gazette, Part II.
This update aligns with Health Canada’s broader efforts to streamline food additive provisions across all food compositional standards.
