G/SPS/N/CAN/1447  
 
5 August 2022  
(22-5829) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English/French  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  CANADA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Health Canada  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Green tea extract (EGCG/catechins) as a supplemental ingredient  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Health Canada's proposal to enable the use of green tea 
extract (EGCG/catechins) as a supplemental ingredient in foods . Language(s):  English 
and French . Number of pages:  4 and 5  
6. Description of content:  Health Canada's Food Directorate has assessed green tea extract 
for use as a supplemental ingredient. This is one of the ingredients the Food Directorate 
previously identified for further assessment since it was an ingredient that w as present in 
product(s) that were previously eligible to transition to the food regulatory framework 
under Temporary Marketing Authorizations.  
Green Tea extract has a history of safe use as a flavouring in food. The continued use of 
green tea extract as a  food flavouring ingredient is the responsibility of the food seller to 
ensure that the sale of a food containing green tea extract does not contravene section 4 
of the Food and Drugs Act . 
For food sellers who choose to use green tea extract as a supplemen tal ingredient, the 
Food Directorate concluded that information related to the safety of standardized green tea 
extract supports its safe use in supplemented foods provided levels of use do not exceed 
intakes equivalent to 300 mg epigallocatechin gallate ( EGCG) and 600 mg total catechins 
per day, do not exceed 100 mg EGCG and 200 mg total catechins per serving, and that 
certain other compositional and labelling requirements are met; as set out in the table 
below. Therefore, Health Canada proposes to enable the use of green tea extract 
(EGCG/catechins) by adding the entry to the List of Permitted Supplemental Ingredients . 
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease , [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  G/SPS/N/CAN/1447  
 
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  [ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes    [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
Health  Canada's Food and Nutrition – "Public Involvement and Partnerships" We bsite, 
posted 28 July 2022 (available in English and French):  
https://www.canada.ca/en/health -canada/services/food -nutrition/public -involvement -
partnerships.html  
https://www.canada.ca/fr/sante -canada/services/aliments -nutrition/participation -public -
partenariats.html  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : The proposed supplemental ingredient will be 
legally enabled once published in Health Canada's List of permitted supplemental 
ingredients  (https://www.canada.ca/en/health -canada/services/food -
nutrition/supplemented -foods/technical -documents/list -permitted -food-ingredients.html ). 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  
11. Propose d date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : The supplemental ingredient modification s noted in this document come 
into force the day they are made to the List of permitted supplemental ingredients  
(https://www.canada.ca/en/health -canada/services/food -nutrition/supplemented -
foods/technical -documents/l ist-permitted -food-ingredients.html ). 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 3 October 2022  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
The "Health Canada's proposal to enable the use of green tea extract (EGCG/catechins) as 
a supplemental ingredient in foods" is available through the following weblink:  
https://www.canada.ca/en/health -canada/services/food -nutrition/public -involvement -
partnerships/notice -proposal-enable -use-green -tea-extract -supplemental -
ingredient/document.html  (English)  
https://www.canada.ca/fr/sante -canada/services/aliments -nutrition/participation -public -
partenariats/avis -proposition -visant -permettre -utilisation -extrait -the-vert-ingredient -
supplementaire/document.html  (French ) 
 
Canada's Notification Authority and Enquiry Point  
Technical Barriers and Regulations Division  
Global Affairs Canada  
111 Sussex Drive  
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0G2  
Canada  
Tel: +(343) 203 4273  
Fax: +(613) 943 0346  
E-mail: enquirypoint@international.gc.ca