Call for data on food additives in certain food flavouring preparations

April 21, 2020

Health Canada’s Food Directorate is working to modify the Lists of Permitted Additives to reflect the use of certain food additives in standardized flavours, extracts and essences.  Therefore, the Food Directorate is seeking assistance in gathering information that will be useful to complete this work.

Flavouring preparations subject to the compositional standards for extract or essence^{Footnote 1} and flavour^{Footnote 2} may contain a food colour and a Class II or Class IV preservative, as well as an emulsifying agent in the case of flavour.

The provisions in these standards are not reflected in the List of Permitted Colouring Agents, the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents, or the List of Permitted Preservatives.

The Food Directorate intends to modify the Lists to specify which colouring agent(s), preservative(s) and emulsifying agent(s) are permitted in these flavouring preparations and their maximum levels of use, similar to what exists for the use of the sweetener thaumatin in flavouring preparations subject to the standard for (naming the flavour) flavour^{Footnote 3}.

To ensure that food additives currently in use are considered in this work, the Food Directorate is seeking the following information:

1. A list of the colouring agents, preservatives and emulsifying agents currently being used in flavouring preparations subject to the compositional standard for (naming the flavour) extract and (naming the flavour) essence or the compositional standard for (naming the flavour) flavour;
2. The purpose for which each food additive is used in the flavouring preparation (this should be explanatory in nature, not simply a reference to the functional class of the additive (e.g. “antimicrobial effect” for Class II preservative));
3. The typical and maximum level of use of each food additive in each type of flavouring preparation, expressed as percent by weight if the use level is 1% or greater or parts per million (p.p.m.) if the use level is less than 1%.

How to get involved in the call for data

Responses provided by June 20, 2020, by email to Flavouring preparations or by mail to the address below, would be appreciated. Please use the term “Flavouring preparations” in the subject line of the email.

Mailing Address

Food Directorate
251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway
AL 2201C Tunney's Pasture
Ottawa, Canada  K1A 0K9

Confidential and/or unpublished information

Health Canada recognizes that some of the available information and/or relevant data that is being requested may be unpublished or of a confidential nature. If submitted, unpublished information would remain the property of the submitting organization or individual and its confidentiality will be safeguarded in so far as it is possible to do so within current regulations governing such issues. Specific issues relating to confidentiality should be discussed directly between the information owners and Health Canada. For these and other issues please contact the Food Directorate through the contact information provided above.