Health Canada's Food and Nutrition Directorate has launched a consultation regarding the proposal to modify the tables of Microbiological Criteria for Food and Microbiological Reference Methods for Food and publish a new guidance document. Health Canada reviewed regulatory and non regulatory microbiological criteria. Health Canada conducted a comprehensive review of microbiological criteria for food. As a result of the review, Health Canada is proposing to: update the regulatory microbiological criteria (i.e., microbiological standards) in the Table of Microbiological Criteria for Food and the Table of Microbiological Reference Methods for Food; publish a new guidance document containing some of the updated […]

Health Canada’s Food and Nutrition Directorate has launched a consultation regarding the proposal to modify the List of Permitted Food Colours to authorize the use of jagua (genipin-glycine) blue. Health Canada completed the premarket safety and efficacy assessment of a food additive submission requesting that jagua (genipin-glycine) blue be permitted for use as a food colour in various foods at maximum levels of use that vary according to the food. The results of the premarket assessment support the safety and efficacy of jagua (genipin-glycine) blue for its requested uses. Consequently, Health Canada proposes to authorize the use of jagua (genipin-glycine) […]

Health Canada's Food and Nutrition Directorate completed a premarket safety assessment of a food additive submission seeking authorization for the use of transglutaminase as food enzyme in various foods of plant and animal origin at a maximum level of use of “Good Manufacturing Practice”. The results of the premarket assessment support the safety of transglutaminase for its requested use. Consequently, Health Canada modified the List of Permitted Food Enzymes as described in this notice on April 14, 2026. This modification comes into force on the day it is published in the list.

Health Canada's Food and Nutrition Directorate completed a premarket safety assessment of a food additive submission seeking authorization for the use of silicon dioxide in sugar at a maximum level of use of 2,000 ppm. The purpose of using the silicon dioxide is to increase the dissolution rate of the sugar. The results of the premarket assessment support the safety of silicon dioxide for its requested use. Consequently, Health Canada modified the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Purposes of Use as described in this notice on February 4, 2026. This modification comes into force on the day it […]

The list of products that have received Temporary Marketing Authorization Letters has been updated with 1 new product, and 9 Temporary Marketing Authorizations that have been revoked, withdrawn or expired, as of January 13, 2026.

Health Canada's Food and Nutrition Directorate completed a premarket safety assessment of a food additive submission seeking authorization for the use of polygalacturonase from Trichoderma reesei AR-414 to be used as a food enzyme in single-strength fruit juices, wine and fruit wine. The requested maximum level of use for this food enzyme is “Good Manufacturing Practice”. The results of the premarket assessment support the safety of polygalacturonase from T. reesei AR-414 for its requested uses. Consequently, Health Canada authorized the use of polygalacturonase from this source as described in this notice by modifying the List of Permitted Food Enzymes on […]

Health Canada's Food and Nutrition Directorate completed a premarket safety assessment of a food additive submission seeking authorization for the use of phospholipase A1 from Trichoderma reesei GICC03613 to be used as a food enzyme in bread, white flour, whole wheat flour, and unstandardized bakery products. The requested maximum level of use for this food enzyme is “Good Manufacturing Practice”. The results of the premarket assessment support the safety of phospholipase A1 from T. reesei GICC03613 for its requested uses. Consequently, Health Canada authorized the use of phospholipase A1 from this source as described in this notice by modifying the […]

Health Canada has launched a consultation regarding the proposal to modify the List of Permitted Preservatives to authorize the use of rosemary extract. Health Canada completed the premarket safety and efficacy assessment of a food additive submission requesting that rosemary extract be permitted for use as an antioxidant (preservative) in brownies, cookies and crackers, dehydrated potato products, dried and/or roasted nuts and seeds and nut and seed spreads, noodles and pasta precooked with fat, and certain snacks. The requested maximum levels of use range from 10 ppm to 50 ppm, calculated as the sum of carnosol and carnosic acid. The […]

Health Canada's Food and Nutrition Directorate is lowering the level of caffeine and caffeine citrate permitted in cola type beverages from 200 parts per million (ppm) to 150 ppm. This change results from the Department now regulating caffeine as a supplemental ingredient when it is added to carbonated water-based beverages and the total amount of caffeine from all sources is more than 150 ppm. Consequently, Health Canada will modify the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Purposes of Use as described in this notice on January 1, 2026, which is one month from the publication of this notice. This […]

Canada's Food and Nutrition Directorate is modifying the List of Permitted Supplemental Ingredients to authorize the use of caffeine as a supplemental ingredient in foods listed in item 6 of the List of Permitted Supplemented Food Categories and to require that all solid supplemented foods with high caffeine content be labelled to indicate that another source of caffeine should not be consumed on the same day. Consequently, Health Canada will modify the List of Permitted Supplemental Ingredients as described in this notice on December 16, 2025 which is the day it is published in the list.

Health Canada has launched a consultation regarding the Proposal to modify the List of Permitted Food Enzymes to authorize the use of exo-inulinase Health Canada completed a premarket safety and efficacy assessment of a food additive submission seeking authorization for the use of exo-inulinase from Trichoderma reesei strain AR-577 in the manufacture of bread, flour, whole wheat flour, unstandardized flours (rye flour), unstandardized bakery products, and unstandardized mixes and batters at the requested maximum level of use of “Good Manufacturing Practice”. This food additive is not currently set out in the Lists of Permitted Food Additives and, therefore, is not […]

Health Canada is implementing most of the changes the Department had proposed for aluminum-containing food additives in the Proposal to revise certain permitted uses of aluminum-containing food additives (reference number: NOP/ADP-0040) published in March 2023. Health Canada is maintaining certain permitted uses of aluminum-containing food additives, including levels of use, that industry indicated are still needed, since no concerns with expected dietary exposures to aluminum in Canada have been identified. Additionally, Health Canada is delaying the implementation of the removal of the permitted use of potassium aluminum sulphate in pickles and relishes until January 1, 2028. This is to allow […]

Health Canada's Food and Nutrition Directorate completed a premarket safety assessment of a food additive submission seeking authorization for the use of pectin in human milk fortifier and infant formula at a maximum level of 2,000 ppm as consumed. The results of the premarket assessment support the safety of pectin for its requested uses. Consequently, Health Canada will authorize the use of pectin as described in this notice by modifying the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents on October 20, 2025, which is 5 weeks from the publication of this notice. This modification will come into force […]

Health Canada's Food and Nutrition Directorate completed a premarket safety assessment of a food additive submission seeking authorization for the use of pullulanase from Klebsiella pneumoniae AE-PUL to be used as a food enzyme in brewers’ mash and beer. The requested maximum level of use for this food enzyme is “Good Manufacturing Practice”. The results of the premarket assessment support the safety of pullulanase from K. pneumoniae AE-PUL for its requested uses. Consequently, Health Canada will authorize the use of pullulanase from this source as described in this notice by modifying the List of Permitted Food Enzymes on October 20, […]

Health Canada's Food and Nutrition Directorate intends 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 the affected food additives and will have no impact on the labelling of prepackaged foods.Consequently, Health Canada will modify the Lists of Permitted Food Additives as described in this notice on October 20, 2025, which is 5 weeks from the notice publication. These modifications will come into force on the […]