Notice of Modification to the List of 
Permitted Food Enzymes  to Enable the 
Use of Aspergillus fijiensis  as a Source 
Organism for Invertase  
 
Notice of Modification  – Lists of Permitted Food 
Additives  
Reference Number: [NO M/ADM-0144] 
March 30, 2020  
 Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Food Enzymes  to Enable to Enable the Use of Aspergillus fijiensis  as a Source Organism 
for Invertase   – Reference Number: [NOM/ADM -0144]| 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.   
Invertase sourced from A. japonicus  is permitted in Canada as a food enzyme  for use in sucrose used in the 
production of fructooligosaccharides . Health Canada’s Food Directorate received a request that the source  
organism name for this invertase  (Aspergillus  japonicus ) be updated to “Aspergillus fijiensis ”, to reflect a re -
identification of the original source organism.   
The results of the Food Dir ectorate’s evaluation of available scientific  and taxonomic  data support the re-
identification of the source organism, and the safety of the addition of the source A. fijiensis , alongside  A. 
japonicus . A. japonicus , which will remain on the List as a permi tted source of invertase, did not require a re -
evaluation of  its safety for its use  as a source of invertase. Therefore, Health Canada has modified the List of 
Permitted Food Enzymes  to extend the use of invertase from A. fijiensis  by adding the entry shown below to 
the List. 
 
Modification to the List of Permitted Food Enzymes  
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted Source  Column 3  
Permitted in or Upon  Column 4  
Maximum Level of Use 
and Other Conditions  
I.1 Invertase  Aspergillus fijiensis ; 
Asper gillus japonicus  Sucrose used in the 
production of 
fructooligosaccharides  
 Good Manufacturing 
Practice  
 
Saccharomyces sp. (1) 
Unstandardized soft -
centred and liquid -
centred confectionery  (1) 
Good Manufacturing 
Practice  
(2) Unstandardized 
bakery products  
 (2) 
Good Manufacturing 
Practice  
Rationale  
Health Canada’s Food Directorate completed a review of the scientific and taxonomic data that was available 
and determined that an update to the source organism name, based on re -identification of the source 
organism, did not require a pre-market safety assessment . Furthermore there was no need to re-evaluate the 
safety of the already -permitted source organism.  Therefore, the Department has  enabled  the use of 
invertase from A. fijiensis , by adding  the source  organism name  A. fijiensis , alongside A. japonic us, in the 
permitted source field in the Lis ting for Invertase (item number I.1) on the List of Permitted Food Enzym es 
shown in the above table.  Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Food Enzymes  to Enable to Enable the Use of Aspergillus fijiensis  as a Source Organism 
for Invertase   – Reference Number: [NOM/ADM -0144]| 3 
 Other Relevant Inf ormation  
The Food and Drug Regulations  require that food additives such as invertase 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 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 Compen dium of Food Additive 
Specifications  and its associated General Specifications and Considerations for Enzyme Preparations  are 
prepared by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and published by the Food and 
Agriculture Organization of  the United Nations.  
Implementation and Enforcement  
The above modification came into force  March 30, 2020, the day it was published in  the List of Permitted 
Food Enzym es.  
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 any new scientific information on the safety in 
use of any food additive, including invertase from A. fijiensis  and A. japonicus .  Anyone wishing to submit new 
scientific 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 electronically, please use the words 
"Invertase  (NOM -0144)" 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