Notice of Modification to the List of 
Permitted Food Additives with Other 
Accepted Uses  to Extend the Use of 
Calcium Lactate and Sodium Alginate  to 
Encapsulated Unstandardized Alcoholic 
Beverages  
Notice of Modification  – Lists of Permitted Food 
Additives  
Reference Number: NOM/ADM-0192 
October  21, 2022  
 Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Accepted Uses  to Extend  the Use of Calcium Lactate and 
Sodium Alginate to Encapsulated  Unstandardized Alcoholic Beverage s – Reference Number: NOM/ADM -0192| 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 Per mitted 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 , a new source  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.  
Health Canada’s Food Directorate received two food additive submission s that together sought  approval for 
the joint  use of calcium lactate and sodium alginate to manufacture whisky -based cocktails  enca psulated in 
calcium alginate membrane -bound spheres . 
Calcium lactate and sodium alginate  react to form a calcium alginate gel-like membrane that encapsulate s 
the alcoholic beverage . 
Calcium lactate and sodium alginate are already permitted food additives in Canada . 
The results of the Food Directorat e’s evaluation of available sci entific data support the safety of calcium 
lactate and sodium alginate when used as set out in the table below1. Therefore, Health Canada has modified 
the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Accepted Uses  to extend the use of  calcium lactate and 
sodium alginate by adding the entries  shown below to the list (bold font not used in the List) . 
 
Modification to the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Accepted Uses  
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  
C.3A  Calcium 
Lactate  (5) 
Unstandardized alcoholic 
beverages  (5) 
Calcium source t o 
form or to maintain 
calcium alginate 
membranes  that 
enca psulate  the 
beverage  (5) 
Good Manufacturing 
Practice . To be used in 
combination with 
sodium alginate . 
… … … … … 
S.1.2  Sodium 
Alginate  Unstandardized alcoholic 
beverage s Alginate source  to 
form calcium 
alginate membranes  
that enca psulate the 
beverage  Good Manufacturing 
Practice . To be used in 
combination with 
calcium lactate.  
                                                             
1 The Column 4 entry “Good Manufacturing Practice” means that the amount of the additive  that is added to the 
food in manufacturing and processing does not exceed the amount required to accomplish the purpose for which 
it has been added, as defined in the  Marketing Authorization for Food Additives with Other Accepted Uses . Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Accepted Uses  to Extend  the Use of Calcium Lactate and 
Sodium Alginate to Encapsulated  Unstandardized Alcoholic Beverage s – Reference Number: NOM/ADM -0192| 3 
 Rationale  
Health Canada’s Food Directorat e completed a premarket safety assessment of calcium lactate and sodium 
alginate when used in combination to form calcium alginate membrane -bound spheres  that encapsulat e 
unstandardized alcoholic beverage s. The Department  conclud ed that information related  to allergenicity, 
chemistry, microbiology, nutrition, and toxicology supports the safety of calcium lactate and sodium alginate  
for this use. Therefore, the Department has enabled this use of calcium lactate and sodium alginate by adding 
to the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Accepted Uses  the new entr ies shown in the above table.  
Other Rel evant Information  
Food additives such as calcium lactate and sodium alginate are required to meet food -grade specifications set 
out in Part B of the Regulations , where such specifications exist,  or those set out in the  most recent  edition of 
the Food Chemi cals Codex  or the Combined 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. Specifications in the  Combined Compendium of 
Food Additive Specifications  are prepared by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives 
(JECFA)  and are published by the Food and Agriculture Orga nization of the United Nations.  
Health Canada’s authorization of a new use of a food additive requested by the food industry is not an 
endorsement of the food that contains the additive. Health Canada’s advice for healthy eating habits is in 
Canada’s food guide . Canada’s Low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines  can help you make informed decisions 
about drinking alcohol.  
Implementation and Enforcement  
The above modification came into force October  21, 2022, the day it was published in  List of Permitted Food  
Additives with Other Accepted Uses . 
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 calcium lactate and sodium alginate . Anyone wishing to submit an 
inquiry or new scientific information on the use of these additives may do so in writing, by regular mail or 
electronically. If you wish to contact the Food Directorate electronically, please use the words " calcium 
lactate and sodium alginate  (NOM -0192)” 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