Modification to the Lists of Permitted Food Additives to remove duplication and harmonize the names of certain food additives

Notice of Modification – Lists of Permitted Food Additives
Reference number: M-FAA-25-06
September 15, 2025

Summary

The purpose of this notice is to publicly announce Health Canada's decision to make corrective modifications to certain Lists of Permitted Food Additives in order to eliminate duplicate entries and to replace food additive synonyms that appear in place of the common name in some entries. These modifications will not change the permitted uses of food additives and will have no impact on the labelling of prepackaged foods. They will come into force on October 20, 2025, the date on which the Lists of Permitted Food Additives are modified, which is 5 weeks from the date of publication of this notice.

Background

The food additives authorized in Canada are set out in the Lists of Permitted Food Additives. These lists are incorporated by reference into Division 16 of the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR).

Health Canada may make minor modifications to the Lists of Permitted Food Additives, such as changes to correct typographical or translation-related errors, to improve clarity, to achieve consistency in terms used in the lists, or to align the lists with amendments to the FDR. These types of modification are not intended to alter the permitted uses of food additives.

Issue

During the modernization of the Lists of Permitted Food Additives, when more than one name was set out in the lists to identify the same food additive or same standardized food, only one of these names was retained and synonyms were removed.

It was noted, after publication of the modernized lists in December 2024, that certain synonyms for food additives appear in column 1 rather than the name selected to identify the additive in question. This is the case in items M.1 (French version only) of the List of Permitted Food Enzymes, S.4 of the List of Permitted Acidity Regulators and Acid-Reacting Materials, G.1 of the List of Permitted Solvents as well as items S.5 (French version only) and T.3 of the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Purposes of Use.

It was also noted that the same food additive is set out twice, in items H.3 and P.19 of the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents under the (synonymous) names "Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose" and "Propylene Glycol Ether of Methylcellulose", respectively.

Also, in paragraphs S.13(h) of the List of Permitted Acidity Regulators and Acid-Reacting Materials and E.2(a) of the List of Permitted Preservatives, the two common names of the standardized food “whey cheese or (naming  the variety) whey cheese" are listed whereas only one should be.

Corrections are therefore needed to remove duplicates and harmonize the names used to identify these food additives with the modernized entries otherwise set out in the lists.

Rationale

A food additive may be declared in the list of ingredients of prepackaged foods by the name appearing in column 1 of the Lists of Permitted Food Additives (identified as the common name for the purposes of the lists) or by any synonym authorized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) appearing in the Permitted synonyms for food additives table for this additive. Similarly, a standardized food may be declared in the list of ingredients by any of the common names of the standard set out in the Canadian Food Compositional Standards, when they are synonyms.

All food additive synonyms requiring replacement by the common name of the additive are already in the Permitted synonyms for food additives table except (in French only) "α-Amylase maltogénique" and its synonym "α-Amylase maltogène". The CFIA will add these terms to the table at the same time the lists are modified. In the case of the standardized food "whey cheese or (naming the variety) whey cheese", these two names are synonyms since they are separated by an "or", which identifies the same standardized food.

It was therefore established that the necessary corrective modifications would not change the authorized uses of food additives and would have no impact on food labelling since, in all cases, they are or will be authorized synonyms when the lists are modified.

Corrective modifications to the Lists of Permitted Food Additives

Health Canada will make the following corrective modifications:

List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents

In the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents, the additive set out in item H.3 "Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose" is the same as the one set out in item P.19 "Propylene Glycol Ether of Methylcellulose" for the same foods, maximum levels of use and other conditions set out respectively in columns 3, 4 and 5 of this list.

Since the term most commonly used to identify this substance is "Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose" and that "Propylene Glycol Ether of Methylcellulose" is an authorized synonym, item H.3 will be retained in the list while item P.19 will be deleted. Current item P.20 will then become new item P.19.

List of Permitted Food Enzymes

In the French version of the List of Permitted Food Enzymes, the name of the additive that is set out in item M.1 is "α-Amylase maltogène" and will be replaced by "α-Amylase maltogénique". The name "α-Amylase maltogénique" was the name that appeared in this list when the modernized lists were pre-published on November 4, 2023 but had been erroneously replaced by its synonym "α-Amylase maltogène" when the lists were officially published on December 18, 2024. The CFIA will add "α-Amylase maltogénique" and "α-Amylase maltogène" to their Permitted synonyms for food additives table concurrently with the modification of the list.

List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Purposes of Use

In the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Purposes of Use, the name of the additive set out in item T.3 "Triacetin" will be replaced by "Glyceryl Triacetate" and set out under new item G.7 in order to maintain the alphabetical order. Item T.4 will then become item T.3. `”Glyceryl Triacetate" is the common name used during the modernization to identify this substance and is already the name used in item G.3 of the List of Permitted Solvents. "Triacetin" will remain an authorized synonym.

In the French version of this list, the name of the additive set out in item S.5 "Sulfate d'aluminium et de sodium" will be replaced by "Sulfate double d'aluminium et de sodium". The common name "Sulfate double d'aluminium et de sodium" retained at the time of modernization is already the name used in items S.1 of the List of Permitted Firming Agents and S.5 of the List of Permitted Acidity Regulators and Acid-Reacting Materials. "Sulfate d'aluminium et de sodium" will remain an authorized synonym.

List of Permitted Acidity Regulators and Acid-Reacting Materials

In the List of Permitted Acidity Regulators and Acid-Reacting Materials, the two common names of the standard "whey cheese or (naming the variety) whey cheese" both appear separated by a semicolon in paragraph S.13(h) even though they refer to the same food. Only the name "(naming the variety) whey cheese" will be retained since it is the name used during the modernization to identify this food in the lists and it already appears on its own in several entries.

In the French version of the List of Permitted Acidity Regulators and Acid-Reacting Materials, the name of the additive set out in item S.4 "Phosphate d'aluminium et de sodium" will be replaced by "Phosphate double d'aluminium et de sodium". These two terms are synonymous, but it is more common to include the word "double" in the French name when the additive consists of two substances. This approach is also harmonized with that used for the common name (in French) of "Sulfate double d'aluminium et de sodium".

List of Permitted Preservatives

In the List of Permitted Preservatives, the two common names of the standard "whey cheese or (naming the variety) whey cheese" both appear separated by a semicolon in paragraph E.2(a) even though they refer to the same food. Only the name "(naming the variety) whey cheese" will be retained as this is the name used during the modernization to identify this food in the lists and it already appears on its own in several entries.

List of Permitted Solvents

In the List of Permitted Solvents, the name of the additive set out in item G.1 "Glycerin" will be replaced by "Glycerol". "Glycerol" is the common name used to identify this substance at the time of modernization. It is already the name used in item G.3 of the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Purposes of Use. "Glycerin" will remain an authorized synonym.

Implementation and enforcement

The modifications described in this notice will come into force on October 20, 2025, the day they are published in the Lists of Permitted Food Additives, which is 5 weeks from the date of publication of this notice.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible for the enforcement of the Food and Drugs Act and its associated regulations with respect to foods.

Contact information

If you wish to submit an inquiry or new scientific information about a food additive permitted for use in Canada please contact Health Canada’s Bureau of Chemical Safety (BCS). If your communication is specific to this notice, please use the words "corrective modifications to synonyms (M-FAA-25-06)" in the subject line of your message.

Bureau of Chemical Safety
Food and Nutrition Directorate
251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway
Postal locator 2202C
Tunney’s Pasture
Ottawa ON  K1A 0K9
Email: bcs-bipc@hc-sc.gc.ca

Useful links

• Health Canada: Regulation of food additives
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency: Permitted synonyms for food additives table