Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, 
Stabilizing or Thickening Agents , the List of Permitted Food Additives 
with Other Accepted Uses , the List of Permitted pH Adjusting Agents, 
Acid-Reacting Materials and Water Correcting Agents , and the List of 
Permitted Sequestering Agents  to Extend the Use of Potassium 
Phosphate, dibasic to the Same Foods and Levels of Use as Sodium 
Phosphate, dibasic  
 
Notice of Modification  – Lists of Permitted Food Additives  
Reference Number: NOM/ADM-0145 
April 8 , 2020 
 Notice of M odification to the Lists of Permit ted Food Additives to Extend  the Use of Potassium Phosphate, dibasic to the Same Foods 
and Levels of Use as Sodium Phosphate, dibasic  – Reference Number: NOM/ADM -0143| 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 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 foo d 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 extension of 
use of potassium phosphate, dibasic as a buffering agent, pH stabilizer and adjusting agent, and an emulsifier, 
stabilizer and texturizer in those same  foods and at the same maximum level of use as is already permitted 
for its sodium analogue, sodium phosphate, dibasic. Those foods are: mustard pickles and relishes, cottage 
cheese and creamed cottage cheese, evaporated milk, evaporated partly skimmed mil k or concentrated 
partly skimmed milk, evaporated skim milk or concentrated skim milk, and sour cream1; glaze for frozen fish 
and frozen mushrooms2; ice cream mix, ice milk mix, and sherbet3; and cream4. In addition, while potassium 
phosphate, dibasic is permitted as a yeast food in ale, beer5, light beer, malt liquor, porter, stout and 
unstandardized bakery products6, and as a pH agent in unstandardized foods4, it is not permitted in the 
former foods as a pH adjusting agent or in the latter as a sequestering agent, as is currently the case for 
sodium phosphate, dibasic. Sodium phosphate, dibasic is also permitted in bacterial cultures4, while 
potassium phosphate, dibasic is currently not.  
Potassium phosphate, dibasic is already permitted for use in Canada as an emulsifier, gelling, stabilizing or 
thickening agent in certa in types of processed cheeses and flavoured milks; as a pH adjusting agent in 
unstandardized foods; as a sequestering agent in injection or cover solutions and pumping pickle for certain 
meat cuts, in meat tenderizers, and in certain other meat products or  cuts of meat; and as a yeast food in ale, 
beer, cider, honey wine, light beer, malt liquor, porter, stout, wine and unstandardized bakery products.   
Both potassium phosphate, dibasic and sodium phosphate, dibasic are used for similar technological 
functi ons in foods. Potassium phosphate, dibasic can be used as a partial or complete replacement for the 
sodium analogue.  
The results of the Food Directorate’s evaluation of available scientific data support the safety of potassium 
phosphate, dibasic when used as requested by the petitioner. Therefore, Health Canada has modified the List 
of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents , the List of Permitted Food Additives  with 
Other Accepted Uses , the List of Permitted pH Adjusting Agents, Acid -Reacting Materials and Water 
Corre cting Agents , and the List of Permitted Sequestering Agents  to extend the use of potassium phosphate, 
diba sic by adding the entries shown below to the lists.  
 
                                                             
1 List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents  
2 List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Accepted Uses  
3 List of Permitted Sequestering Agents  
4 List of Permitted pH Adjusting Agents; Acid –Reacting Materials and Water Correcting Agents  
5 Despite the modernized beer standard (as published in Canada Gazette  Part II, vol. 153, no.9), beer, ale, stout, porter and 
malt liq uor can still, until December 13, 2022, be sold in accordance with the standards as they read immediately before the 
day the Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations (Beer)  came into force.  
6 List of Permitted Yeast Foods  Notice of M odification to the Lists of Permit ted Food Additives to Extend  the Use of Potassium Phosphate, dibasic to the Same Foods 
and Levels of Use as Sodium Phosphate, dibasic  – Reference Number: NOM/ADM -0143| 3 
 Modifications to the Lists of Permit ted Food Additives  
 
Item P.11 be modified by adding entries for new sub items P.11(3) to P.11(7) to Columns 2 and 3 in the List of 
Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing of Thickening Agents , as fo llows:  
 
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted in or Upon  Column 3  
Maximum Level of Use and Other 
Conditions  
P.11  Potassium 
Phosphate, 
dibasic  (3) 
Mustard pickles; Relishes  (3) 
Good Manufacturing Practice  
(4) 
Cottage cheese; Creamed 
cottage cheese  (4) 
0.5% in accordance with the requirements 
of sections B.08.051 and B.08.052, 
calculated as sodium phosphate, dibasic  
(5) 
Evaporated milk; Evaporated 
partly skimmed milk or 
concentrated partly skimmed 
milk; Evaporated skim milk or 
concentrated skim milk  (5) 
0.1% calculated as sodium phosphate, 
dibasic. If any combination of potassium 
phosphate, dibasic, sodium phosphate, 
dibasic, and sodium citrate is used, the total 
added phosphate salts not to exceed 0.1% 
calculated as sodium phosphate, dibasi c and 
the total amount not to exceed 0.1%  
(6) 
Sour cream  (6) 
0.05% calculated as sodium phosphate, 
dibasic. If used in combination with sodium 
phosphate, dibasic, total added phosphate 
salts not to exceed 0.05%, calculated as 
sodium phosphate, dibasic  
(7) 
Unstandardized Foods  (7) 
Good Manufacturing Practice  
 
New item P.4.3 be added to the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Accepted Uses , as follows:  
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted in or Upon  Column 3  
Purpose of use  Column 4  
Maximum Level of Use 
and Other Conditions  
P.4.3  Potassium 
Phosphate, 
dibasic  (1) 
Glaze for frozen fish  (1) 
To prevent cracking of 
glaze  (1) 
Good Manufacturing 
Practice  
(2) 
Frozen mushrooms  (2) 
To prevent 
discolouration  (2) 
Good Manufacturing 
Practice  
 Notice of M odification to the Lists of Permit ted Food Additives to Extend  the Use of Potassium Phosphate, dibasic to the Same Foods 
and Levels of Use as Sodium Phosphate, dibasic  – Reference Number: NOM/ADM -0143| 4 
 Item P.10 be modified by renumbering the existing entry in columns 2 and 3 to sub -item "(1)" and adding a 
new sub -item "(2)" to Columns 2 and 3 in the List of Permitted pH Adjusting Agents, Acid -Reacting Materials 
and Water Correcting Agents , as follows:  
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted in or Upon  Column 3  
Maximum Level of Use and 
Other Conditions  
P.10  Potassium 
Phosphate, dibasic  (2) 
Ale; Bacterial culture; Beer; Cream; 
Light beer; Malt liquor; Porter; Stout  (2) 
Good Manufacturing Practice  
 
Item P.4 be modified by adding entries for new sub items P.4(9) and P.4(10) to Columns 2 and 3 in the List of 
Permitted Sequestering Agent s, as follows:  
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted in or Upon  Column 3  
Maximum Level of Use and 
Other Conditions  
P.4 Potassium 
Phosphate, dibasic  (9) 
Unstandardized foods  (9) 
Good Manufacturing Practice  
(4) 
Ice cream mix; Ice milk mix; Sherbet  (4) 
Good Manufacturing Practice  
 
In addition,  the following modifications are required to replace  the text in columns 2 and 3 of sub -items 
S.6(2), S.11(3) and S.11(4) to  the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing of Thickening Agents  as a 
result of this submission:  
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted in or Upon  Column 3  
Maximum Level of Use and Other Co nditions  
S.6 Sodium 
Citrate  (2) 
Evaporated milk; Evaporated 
partly skimmed milk or 
concentrated partly skimmed 
milk; Evaporated skim milk or 
concentrated skim milk  (2) 
0.1% singly or in combination with potassium 
phosphate, dibasic or sodium phosphate, 
dibasic, in accordance with the conditions set 
out for items P.11 and S.11 in this List  
S.11  Sodium 
Phosphate, 
dibasic  (3) 
Evaporated milk; Evaporated 
partly skimmed milk or 
concentrated partly skimmed 
milk; Evaporated skim milk or 
concentrated skim milk  (3) 
0.1%. If any combination of potassium 
phosphate, dibasic, sodium phosphate, dibasic, 
and sodium citrate is used, the total added 
phosphate salts not to exceed 0.1% calculated 
as sodium phosphate, dibasic and the total 
amount not to exceed 0.1%  
(4) Sour cream  (4) 0.05%. If used in combination with 
potassium phosphate, dibasic, total added 
phosphate salts not to exceed 0.05%, 
calculated as sodium phosphate, dibasic   
Notice of M odification to the Lists of Permit ted Food Additives to Extend  the Use of Potassium Phosphate, dibasic to the Same Foods 
and Levels of Use as Sodium Phosphate, dibasic  – Reference Number: NOM/ADM -0143| 5 
 Rationale  
Health Canada’s Food Directorate completed a premarket safety assessment of potassium phosphate, dibasic 
for use as a buffering agent, pH stabilizer and adjusting agent, and emulsifier, stabilizer and texturizer .  The 
assessment concluded that information related to chemistry, nutrition, toxicology, and allergenicity supports 
the safety of potassium phosphate, dibasic for its requested uses.  Therefore, the Department has enabled 
the requested uses of potassium phosphate, dibasic by adding to the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, 
Stabilizing or Thickening Agents , the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Accepted Uses , the List of 
Permitted pH Adjusting Agents, Acid -Reacting Materials and Water Correcting Agents , and the List of 
Permitted Sequestering Agent s, the new entries shown in the above five tables.  
Other Relevant Information  
Food additives and other ingredients generally must be  declared in the list of ingredients on the label of pre -
packaged foods sold in Canada. This allows individuals to identify foods that contain this additive if necessary, 
for example, individuals following a low potassium or low phosphorus diet for health reasons.  In addition, 
companies using these types of food additives are encouraged to voluntarily declare the total amount of 
potassium and phosphorus, as well as the percentage of the “daily value” for potassium and phosphorus, in 
the Nutrition Facts tab le. 
On December 14, 2016, Health Canada made changes to the Food and Drug Regulations7 to require the 
amount of potassium to always appear in the Nutrition Facts table. Manufacturers have until 2021 to comply 
with these changes.  
The Food and Drug Regulati ons require that food additives such as potassium phosphate, dibasic that do not 
have food -grade specifications set out in Part B of the Regulations meet the most recent food -grade 
specifications set out in the Food Chemicals Codex  or the Combined Compendi um 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 Addi tive 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 April 8, 2020, the day it was published in List of Permitted 
Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents , the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other 
Accepted Uses , the List of Permitted pH Adjusting Agents, Acid -Reacting Materials and Wa ter Correcting 
Agents , and the List of Permitted Sequestering Agent s.  
 
The Canadian Food Inspection Agenc y is responsible for the enforcement of the Food and Drugs Act and its 
associated regulations with respect to foods.   
                                                             
7 Canada Gazette , Part II, Vol. 150, No 25, December 14, 2016. SOR/DORS/2016 -305 Notice of M odification to the Lists of Permit ted Food Additives to Extend  the Use of Potassium Phosphate, dibasic to the Same Foods 
and Levels of Use as Sodium Phosphate, dibasic  – Reference Number: NOM/ADM -0143| 6 
 Contact Information  
Health Canada's Food Directorate is committed to reviewing any new scientific information on the safety in 
use of any  food additive, incl uding potassium phosphate, dibasic .  Anyone wishing to submit new scienti fic 
information on the use of this additive  or to submit any inquiries may do so in writing, by regular mail or 
electronically.  If you wish to contact the Food Directorate electronic ally, please use the words " potassium 
phosphate, dibasic (NOM -0145)" in the subject line of your e -mail.  
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate  
 
251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway  
Tunney’s Pa sture, PL: 2202C  
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9  
 
E-mail: hc.bcs -bipc.sc@canada.ca   
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