Structured medium- and long-chain triacylglycerol (MLCT oil)
In 2024, Health Canada received a submission to allow the sale of medium- and long-chain triacylglycerol (MLCT) oil in Canada as a food ingredient. MLCT oil is produced through enzymatic esterification.
In order to determine whether this ingredient could be sold in Canada as food, the scientists at Health Canada with expertise in molecular biology, microbiology, toxicology, chemistry, and nutrition conducted a thorough analysis of the data and the protocols provided by the applicant to ensure the validity of the results. To ensure that the product is safe for consumption, the scientists considered how the product was developed, its composition, whether it could be toxic or cause allergic reactions, and its dietary exposure in the Canadian population.
Following this assessment, it was determined that the use of MLCT oil as a food ingredient does not pose a nutritional, chemical, microbiological, or toxicological risk.
Health Canada's assessment of MLCT oil was conducted according to the Guidelines for the Safety Assessment of Novel Foods. The approach taken by Health Canada in the safety assessment of novel foods is based upon scientific principles developed through expert international consultation over the last 20 years with agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The approach taken by Canada is currently applied by regulatory agencies around the world in countries such as the European Union, Australia/New Zealand, Japan, and the United States.