Notice of Modification to the List of 
Permitted Firming Agents  to More 
Clearly Identify Certain  Canned 
Vegetables  
 
Notice of Modification  – Lists of Permitted Food 
Additives  
Reference Number: NOM/ADM-0186 
August  5, 2022 
 Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Firming Agents  to More Clearly Identify Certain Canned Vegetables – Reference 
Number: NOM/ADM -0186| 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.  
From time to time, Health Canada may make minor modifications to the  Lists of Permitted Food Additives , 
such as  changes to correct errors , improv e clarity , achiev e consistency in terms used in the Lists, or to align  
the Lists with amendments of  Part B of the Food and Drug Regulations . These minor changes are not 
intended to alter  the permitted uses of food additive s. 
This Notice explains that  the entries for calcium chloride; calcium citrate; calcium phosphate, monobasic;  and 
calcium sulphate in the List of Permitted Firming Agents  have been modified by replacing (1) the common 
name “Tomatoes” with the alternate  common name for this standardized food, “Canned tomatoes” , and (2) 
replacing the food category term “Canned vegetables” with  the term for each of the standardized and 
unstandardized food categories that compose “Canned vegetables” , namely “Canned (naming the 
vegetable)” and “ Unstandardized c anned vegetables”, respectively . 
 
Minor Modification s to the List of Permitted Firming Agents  
The Regulations set out the common name for many standardized foods by using boldface font for the name 
of the food in the pr ovision in the Regulations that prescribes the standard (see the definition of “common 
name” in section B.01.001 of the Regulations). In this manner, t he common name for canned tomatoes is 
either “Tomatoes” or “Canned Tomatoes” (B.11.005). The List indicates that calcium chloride; calcium citrate; 
calcium phosphate, monobasic; and calcium sulphate are permitted for use as firming agents in “Tomatoes”, 
meaning canned tomatoes. However, everyday use of the term “tomatoes” can simply mean more than one 
fresh unprocessed tomato  fruit, and the food additive provision for each of these four firming agents in 
“Tomatoes” is not intended to permit these additives on fresh  unprocessed  tomato fruits .  
To avoid this, the common name “Tomatoes” has been replaced with “Canned tomatoes”, which is the 
alternate common name for this food , in the list entries for these four firming agents .  
The provisions for the use of calcium citrate; calcium phosphate, monobasic; and ca lcium sulphate  in 
“Canned vegetables” are intended to include standardized canned vegetables, as well as unstandardized 
canned vegetables , such as  canned mixed vegetables . To more clearly indicate this intent , and in the cases of 
calcium citrate and calciu m phosphate, monobasi c, to also maintain the maximum level of use intended for  
these firming agents in unstandardized canned vege tables  (0.026% calculated as calcium) , which is different 
than what is permitted for unstandardized foods in general  (Good Manu facturing Practice) , the food category 
“Canned vegetables ” was divided into two subcategories that capture the intended foods , namely the 
standardized food category , “Canned (naming the vegetable) ”, and the unstandardized food category , 
“Unstandardized canned vegetables”.  
“Canned (naming the vegetable)” is the  category  for each kind of vegetable that is canned  and subject to the 
standard set out in section B.11.002 of the Regulations . Canned peas  were split from this listing  of “canned 
(naming the vegeta ble)” in subitem C.1(8)  since there is a higher  maximum level of use for calcium chloride in  
canned peas than in  canned (naming the vegetable). Therefore, the existing subitem C.1(8) was modified  as 
shown below,  and a separate entry was created for canned peas. The  term  “Canned (naming the vegetable)”  
already appears in several other Lists, including the List of Permitted pH Adjusting Agents, Acid -Reacting 
Materials and Water Correcting Agents  and the List of Permitted Preservatives . “Unstandardized canned Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Firming Agents  to More Clearly Identify Certain Canned Vegetables – Reference 
Number: NOM/ADM -0186| 3 
 vegetables ” is the category for all types of canned vegetables that do not have a standard in the Regulations . 
This category  ensures that  such types of foods are subject to  the conditions of use specified for the 
previ ously -listed “canned vegetables”  and not the conditions of use specified for all unstandardized foods .  
Therefore, in the Column 2 entry of items C.1, C.2, C.5, and C.6 in the List of Permitted Firming Agents , Health 
Canada has replaced  the term “Tomatoes” with “Canned tomatoes”, and in the Column 2 entry of items C.2, 
C.5, and C.6 replaced the term s “Canned vegetables” with “Canned (naming the vegetable)” and 
“Unstandardized canned vegetable s”, as shown below (bold font not used in the List).  
  
Modification to the List of Permitted Firming Agents  
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted in or Upon  Column 3  
Maximum Level of Use and 
Other Conditions  
C.1 Calcium Chloride  (8) 
Canned (naming the vegetable)  except 
canned peas ; Canned tomatoes  (8) 
0.026% calculated as calcium  
(12) 
Canned peas  (12) 
0.035% calculated as calcium  
C.2 Calcium Citrate  (1) 
Canned (naming the vegetable);  
Canned tomatoes ; Unstandardized 
canned vegetables  (1) 
0.026% calculated as calcium  
C.5 Calcium 
Phosphate, 
monobasic  (1) 
Canned (naming the vegetable); 
Canned tomatoes ; Unstandardized 
canned vegetables  (1) 
0.026% calculated as calcium  
C.6 Calcium Sulphate  (1) 
Canned (naming the vegetable); 
Canned tomatoes ; Unstandardized 
canned vegetables  (1) 
0.026% calculated as calcium  
 
Editorial  Modification s 
Minor grammatical corrections  were also made in the French version  of the List.  The word “calculé” was 
replaced with “calculée” in column 3 for subitems no. C.1(1), no. C.1(8), no. C.1(10), no. C.1(11),  no. C.2(1), 
no. C.2(2), no. C.2(4), no. C.3A(2), no. C.5(1), no. C.5(2), no. C.5(4), no. C.6(1), no. C.6(2), no. C.6(3) and no. 
P.1(3) . The word “normalise s” was replaced by “normalisés” in column 2 for subitem no. C.1(9).  
Rationale  
Health Canada has modified the entries for calcium chloride; calcium citrate; calcium phosphate, monobasic; 
and calcium sulphate in the List of Permitted Firming Agents  by replacing the terms for certain canned foods 
with other terms that more clearly indicate the intended permitted use of these firming agents in these Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Firming Agents  to More Clearly Identify Certain Canned Vegetables – Reference 
Number: NOM/ADM -0186| 4 
 foods. Also, some minor grammatical corrections have been made to the French version of the List. There are 
no food safety implications associated with th ese changes.  
Implementation and Enforcement  
The above modification s came into force August 5, 2022, the day they were  published in  the List of Permitted 
Firming 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  
Anyone wishing to enquire about or provide feedback on t he changes described in th is Notice of Modification 
may do so in writing, by regular mail , or electronically.  If you wish to contact the Food Directorate 
electronically, please use the words " firming agents  (NOM -0186)" 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: bcs-bipc@hc -sc.gc.ca