Notice of Modification to the List of 
Permitted Colouring Agents  to Enable 
the Use of Caramel  in Flavoured 
Cheddar Cheese  
 
Notice of Modification  – Lists of Permitted Food 
Additives  
Reference Number: NOM/ADM-0158 
January  22, 2021 
  
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Colouring Agents  to Enable the Use of Caramel  in Flavoured Cheddar  Cheese – 
Reference Number: NOM/ADM -0158| 2 
 Summary  
Food additives are regulated in Canada under Marketing Authorizations  (MAs) issued by the Minister of 
Health and the Food and Drug Regulations  (Regulations) .  Approved food additives and their permitted 
conditions of use are set out in the Lists of Permitted Food Additives  that are incorporated by reference in 
the MAs and published on the Canada.ca website.  A petitioner can request that Health Canada approve a 
new additive or a new condition of use for an already approved food additive by filing a f ood additive 
submission with the Department's Food Directorate.  Health Canada uses this premarket approval process to 
determine whether the scientific data support the safety of food additives when used under specified 
conditions in foods sold in Canada.  
Health Canada’s Food Directorate received a food additive submission seeking approval for the use of 
caramel  as a colouring agent  in a flavouring preparation used in the manufacture of flavoured cheddar 
cheese.  The caramel is added to the flavouring prepa ration to enhance  the visibility of swirls of the 
flavouring preparation used in the finished cheese.  The caramel is not intended to impart colour to the 
entire cheese.   Taking into consideration that the caramel is only present in the preparation used to  flavor 
the finished cheese, t he requested maximum level of use of caramel is equivalent to 50 parts per million 
(ppm) on the basis of the entire finished cheese , as consumed . 
The compositional standard for cheddar cheese prescribed by  section  B.08.034  of the Regulations provides 
for the use of flavouring preparations1, other than cheese flavouring , in cheddar cheese . Caramel  is already 
permitted for use in Canada as a colouring agent  in various standardized and unstandardized foods at 
different  maximum levels , depending on the food .  
The results of the Food Directorate’s evaluation of available scientific data support the safe ty of caramel for 
its requested use .  Therefore, Health Canada has modified the List of Permitted Colouring  Agents  to extend 
the use of caramel  by adding the entry shown below to the List. 
 
Modification to the List of Permitted Colouring Agents  
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted in or Upon  Column 3  
Maximum Level of Use and Other 
Conditions  
2. Caramel  (7) 
Cheddar cheese containing one or 
more flavouring preparations in 
accordance with B.08.034(1)(b)(ii)  
 (7) 
Good Manufacturing Practice in 
the flavouring preparatio n 
(Residues of caramel in cheddar 
cheese prepared with such 
flavourings not to exceed 50 
p.p.m.)  
Rationale  
Health Canada’s Food Directorat e completed a premarket safety assessment of caramel  for use as a colouring 
agent  to enhance  the visibility of swirls of a flavouring preparation used in the production of flavoured 
                                                             
1 As per subparagraph B.08.034(1)(b)(ii) of the Regulations.  Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Colouring Agents  to Enable the Use of Caramel  in Flavoured Cheddar  Cheese – 
Reference Number: NOM/ADM -0158| 3 
 cheddar  cheese .  The assessment concluded that information re lated to allergenicity , chemistry, nutrition, 
and toxicology supports the safety of caramel  for its requested use.  Therefore, the Department has enabled 
the requested use of caramel  by adding to the List of Permitted Colouring Agents  the new entr y shown in the 
above table.  
Other Relevant Information  
The Food a nd Drug Regulations  require that food additives such as caramel  that do not have food -grade 
specifications set out in Part B of the Regulations meet the food -grade specifications set out in the  most 
recent  edition of the  Food Chemicals Codex  or the Combine d Compendium of Food Additive Specifications .  
The Food Chemicals Codex  is a compendium of standards for purity and identity for food ingredients, 
including food additives, published by the United States Pharmacopeial Convention. The Combined 
Compendium of  Food Additive Specifications , which contains specifications prepared by the Joint FAO/WHO 
Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), is published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the 
United Nations.  
Implementation and Enforcement  
The above modification came into force January  22, 2021, the day it was published in  the List of Permitted 
Colou ring Agents .  
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  
Health Canada's Food Directorate is committed to reviewing new scientific information on the safety in use of 
any permitted food additive, including caramel .  Anyone wishing to submit new scienti fic information on the 
use of this additive or to submit inqu iries may do so in writing, by regular mail or electronically.  If you wish to 
contact the Food Directorate electronically, please use the words " Caramel  (NOM -0158)" in the subject line 
of your e -mail.  
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate  
251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway  
Tunney’s Pasture, PL: 2202C  
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9  
E-mail: hc.bcs -bipc.sc@canada.ca