In a March 9 email to stakeholders, Health Canada’s Food Directorate requested data in regard to food additives in certain food flavouring preparations. The Food Directorate is responsible for assessing health risks and benefits, setting standards, policies and regulations, and providing advice and information regarding the safety and nutritional quality of food. In Canada, all permitted food additives and their conditions of use are listed in the Lists of Permitted Food Additives (“Lists”). In its email, the Food Directorate stated that it intends to modify the Lists to specify which coloring agent(s), preservative(s) and emulsifying agent(s) are permitted in flavoring preparations and their maximum levels of use. The agency noted that this would be similar to the listing for the sweetener, thaumatin.

In its email, the Food Directorate stated that stakeholder data will ensure that food additives currently in use are considered when the agency modifies the Lists. The Food Directorate requested the following information:  (1) A list of the coloring agents, preservatives and emulsifying agents currently being used in flavoring preparations subject to the compositional standard for (naming the flavor) extract and (naming the flavor) essence or the compositional standard for (naming the flavor) flavor; (2) The purpose for which each food additive is used in the flavoring preparation (this should be explanatory in nature, not simply a reference to the functional class of the additive (g. “antimicrobial effect” for Class II preservative); and (3) The typical and maximum level of use of each food additive in each type of flavoring preparation, expressed as percent by weight if the use level is 1% or greater or parts per million if the use level is less than 1%.

The Food Directorate asks that interested stakeholders submit data by May 9, 2020. We will continue to monitor any developments and are happy to help submit data to Health Canada’s Food Directorate.