Notice of Modification to the List of 
Permitted Preservatives to Extend  the Use 
of Dimethyl Dicarbonate in Certain  
Alcoholic Beverages  
 
Notice of Modification – Lists of Permitted Food Additives  
Reference Number: NOM/ADM -0170 
July 27, 2021 
 Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Preservatives  to Extend  the Use of Dimethyl Dicarbonate  in Certain Alcoholic 
Beverages – Refe rence Number: NOM/ADM -0170| 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 Pe rmitted Food Additives  that are incorporated by reference in 
the MAs and publi shed 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 food  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.  
Heal th Canada’s Food Directorate received a food additive submission seeking approval for the use of 
dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC) as a preservative  in fruit wine s (other than grape) , cider, and perry1. The 
requested maximum level of use  for these beverages  is 250 parts per million ( ppm ). Fruit wine and cider are 
standardized alcoholic beverages under sections B.02.103  and B.02.120 , respectively, of the Regulations . The 
petitioner supports the use of DMDC at levels up to 250 ppm in both standardized and unstandardized ciders.  
DMDC  is already permitted for  use in Canada as a preservative in unstandardized water -based non-alcoholic 
beverages2 at a maximum level of 250 ppm , and in wine (B.02.100 ) at a maximum level of 200 ppm.  The 
compositional standards  for wine  are such that DMDC  is already permitted in fruit wine3 at the same 
maximum level of use (200 ppm) . The rationale for requesting a higher level of use of 250 ppm DMDC in fruit 
wine and ci der is that these alcoholic beverages  can have a higher sugar content than grape wine, mak ing 
them more susceptible to microbial spoilage than grape wine.  
The results of the Food Directorate’s evaluation of available scientific data support the sa fety of dimethyl 
dicarbonate  for use at a level up to 250 ppm in the alcoholic beverages requested by the petitioner .  
Therefore, Health Canada has modified Part 3 of the List of Permitted  Preservatives  to extend the use of 
DMDC  by adding the entry  shown  below to the list . 
 
Modificati on to Part 3 of the List of Permitted Preservatives  
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted in or Upon  Column 3  
Maximum Level of Use and 
Other Conditions  
D.1 Dimethyl 
dicarbonate  (3) 
Cider; Fruit wine ; Perry; Unstandardized alcoholic 
ciders4 (3) 
250 p.p.m.  
                                                             
1 Perry is an unstandardized fruit wine type alcoholic beverage that is the product of the alcoholic fermentation of 
pear juice.  
2 Examples of unstandardized water -based non -alcoholic beverages are ready -to-drink tea ; fruit -flavoured, sport or 
isotonic drinks ; and diet soft drinks . Dealcoholized wine beverage s are not included . 
3 The standard for fruit wine (B.02.103) prescribes that  fruit wine shall be the product of the alcoholic fermentation 
of the juice of sound ripe fruit other than grape, and in all other respects shall meet the requirements of the 
standard for wine (B.02.100).  
4 The word “alcoholic ” is used in t he descriptor to  differentiate from the unfiltered, unsweetened, non -alcoholic 
beverage made from apples that is called "apple cider", “sweet cider", "soft cider" or simply "cider”, and that 
differs from "alcoholic" cider for which there is a standard in the Regulations.  Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Preservatives  to Extend  the Use of Dimethyl Dicarbonate  in Certain Alcoholic 
Beverages – Refe rence Number: NOM/ADM -0170| 3 
 The compositional standards for wine and fruit wine  are such that DMDC  is also permitted in f lavoured 
(naming the fruit) wine (B.02.105A ) because this standard refers to products that are fruit wine, a mixture of 
fruit wines, or a mixture of fruit wine and win e to which has been added herbs, spices, other botanical 
substances, fruit juices or a flavouring preparation . Thus, a flavoured fruit wine  is permitted to contain DMDC 
in accordance with the provision s for use in fruit wine and wine, as ap plicable.  
Ration ale 
Health Canada’s Food Directorate completed a premarket safety assessment of dimethyl dicarbonate for use 
as a preservative  in certain alcoholic beverages .  The assessment concluded that information related to 
allergenicity , chemistry, microbiology, nut rition, and toxicology  supports the safety of dimethyl dicarbonate  
for use  in these beverages at a level up to 250 ppm . Therefore, the Department has enabled th ese uses of 
dimethyl dicarbonate by adding to Part 3 of the List of Permitted Preservatives  the new entry  shown in the 
above table.  
Other Relevant Information  
The Food and Drug Regulations  require that food additives such as dimethyl dicarbonate  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 Combined Comp endium 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 A dditive Specifications , which contains specifications prepared by the Joint 
FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), is published by the Food and Agriculture 
Organ ization of the United Nations.  
Implementation and Enforcement  
The above modificati on came into force July 27, 2021, the day it was published in  Part 3 of the  List of 
Permitted Preservatives .  
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 food additive, including dimethyl dicarbonate.  Anyone wishing to submit new scientific information on 
the use of this additive  or to submit an y inquiries may do so in writing, by regular mail or electronically. If you 
wish to contact the Food Directorate electronically, please use the words " Dimethyl dicarbonate  (NOM -
0170)" 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