Canada Additives Update: Food enzymes, Extraction solvents, Sweeteners

Health Canada announced modifications to the lists of permitted food additives in several notices published over the last months, after completing the corresponding safety assessments.

Starch modifying agents and extractions solvents

The most recent is the notice of modification published June 29, 2016, which removed:

• epichlorohydrin from the List of Permitted Starch-Modifying Agents.
• 2-NP from the List of Permitted Carrier or Extraction Solvents.

Other generally accepted uses

One notice of modification published May 25, 2016 removing:

• mineral oil, paraffin wax, and petrolatum

as a results of the revocations of Sections B.01.046 and B.01.047  from the Food and Drugs Regulations.

Sweeteners

One notice of modification entered into force May 24, 2016 enabling:

• Saccharin, potassium saccharin, sodium saccharin, calcium saccharin.

for the usage in table top sweeteners. These additives were already permitted in other different unstandardized foods.

Food enzymes

Two Notices of modification, published on April 11, 2016 and March 30, 2016
The first approved the usage of the transglutaminase from Streptoverticillium mobaraense S-8112 as a food enzyme in bread, flour, whole wheat flour, and unstandardized bakery products. This enzyme was already permitted for use in Canada in certain unstandardized dairy products, certain standardized poultry and meat products and in unstandardized prepared fish products.
The second change in the list of permitted food enzymes is about the usage of a particular protease, obtained from the microorganism Fusarium venenatum WTY939-8-3 in several food products, which includes also hydrolyzed animal, milk and vegetable protein.

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