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Health Canada, through the Food and Drug Act, regulates the labelling of foods in Canada. Food additives are considered ingredients in any pre-packaged food and must be included in the ingredients’ list. In general, food ingredients are listed in descending order of proportion by weight, however, food additives, spices, seasonings, herbs (except salt), natural and artificial flavours, flavour enhancers, vitamins and mineral nutrients and their derivatives and salts, may be placed at the end of the ingredients list in any order. Preparations of vitamins, minerals, food additives and flavour enhancers added to foods must also be listed in the ingredients list, but must be listed by the common name associated with the active ingredient in the preparation.
Sweeteners
Foods containing the artificial sweeteners, aspartame, acesulfame-potassium (Ace-K) and, or sucralose must declare this on their label and on the ingredients’ list. A statement saying “contains (name of sweetener)” or “sweetened with (name of sweetener)” must be present on the main display panel of the product. In addition, if the product contains a combination of any or all of these sweeteners, it must state what the product has been sweetened with, listing any and all of the sweeteners used (for example: product “sweetened with aspartame and sucralose” or “contains acesulfame-potassium and sucralose”). The amount of these sweeteners, in milligrams per serving, must be declared on some part of the food label, in addition to the declaration on the Nutrition Facts table.
The use of aspartame requires an additional statement. Aspartame containing products must have a statement, grouped together with the ingredients list, that aspartame contains phenylalanine for those individuals with the genetic disorder, phenylketonuria (PKU).
If these three sweeteners, singly or in combination, are to be used in or as a tabletop sweetener, the label must also contain a statement expressing the sweetness of the product. This statement should be expressed in terms of how much table sugar would be needed to obtain the same level of sweetness as the tabletop sweetener.
The term “low-calorie” may also be used on the label of the tabletop sweetener if the energy value of one serving of sweetener, equal to 5 grams (1 teaspoon) of table sugar, has fewer than two calories in total.
The presence of sugar alcohols in a product requires the declaration of the amount of sugar alcohol content (in grams/serving size) in the Nutrition Facts table.
The artificial sweeteners, saccharin and cyclamate, also have specific labelling instructions and precautionary statements that must be placed on the packaging. Saccharin may only be sold in pharmacies and the label must have a precautionary statement saying, “that continued use of saccharin may be injurious to health, and that the sweetener should not be used by pregnant women except on the advice of a physician”. The label for cyclamate must state that the sweetener should only be used on the advice of a physician. In addition to being listed in the ingredients list of the product, the quantity of each component, where present in the sweetener must be listed (cyclohexyl sulfamic acid, a salt of cyclohexyl sulfamic acid, saccharin, a saccharin salt or carbohydrates), as well as the energy value expressed in calories per teaspoonful, drop, tablet or other measure used in the directions for use and per 100 grams or millilitres of the sweetener.
Sugar, liquid sugar, invert sugar or liquid invert sugar, singly or in combination may be listed simply as “sugar”. Glucose syrups and isomerized glucose syrups, singly or in combination, where the fructose fraction does not exceed 60 percent of the sweetener on a dry basis can be listed as glucose syrups. Glucose syrups and isomerized glucose syrups, singly or in combination, where the fructose fraction exceeds 60 percent of the sweetener on a dry basis may be listed as fructose syrup. Sugar or glucose-fructose, either singly or in combination may be listed as “sugar/glucose-fructose”.
Other Additives
The Canadian Food and Drug Act also permits the use of common names of some additives in ingredients lists. These common names are listed in the Act in Annex 2-2. One or more of the colours listed in Table 3 of Division 16, except for annatto, allura red and sunset yellow, may be listed in the ingredients simply as “colour”.
Any combination of disodium phosphate, monosodium phosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate and sodium acid pyrophosphate may be listed as “sodium phosphate” or “sodium phosphates”.
Potassium bisulphite, potassium metabisulphite, sodium bisulphite, sodium metabisulphite, sodium sulphite, sodium dithionite, sulphurous acid and sulphur dioxide, singly or in combination may be listed as “sulphiting agents” or “sulphites”.
European Union
Food additives in countries of the European Union each have a specific name and number, with the majority having the prefix ‘E’ (for Europe). The E100 series is designated for colours, E200s are preservatives, E300s are antioxidants and the E400s are emulsifiers, thickeners and gelling agents.
The Food Additives and Ingredients Association has a website about food additives, which can be searched either by name or by E-number.
Information Sources
Canadian Food Inspection Agency. (2007). Annex 2-2: Class Names for Ingredients. Retrieved from, http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/guide/ch2-1e.shtml
Canadian Food Inspection Agency. (2007). Basic Labelling Requirements. Retrieved from: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/guide/ch2e.shtml
Canadian Food Inspection Agency. (2008). Questions and Answers Regarding the Labelling of Food Allergens. Retrieved from, http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/allerg/allergee.shtml
Canadian Sugar Institute. (n.d.). Classification and Uses of Sugar Other Sweeteners. Retrieved from, http://www.sugar.ca/english/healthprofessionals/othersweetners.cfm
Department of Justice Canada. (2008). Food and Drugs Act. Retrieved from, http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showtdm/cr/C.R.C.-c.870
European Commission. (2002). Food additives and flavourings. Retrieved from, http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sfp/flav_index_en.html
Food Additives and Ingredients Association. (n.d.). E-Numbers. Retrieved from, http://www.understandingfoodadditives.org/pages/Ch6p1.htm
Health Canada. (2008). Food Additives. Retrieved from, http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/addit/index_e.html
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