Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Food Enzymes  to Enable the Use of Cellulase, Glucanase and Xylanase Obtained from 
Rasamsonia emersonii  (previous name: Talaromyces emersonii ) as Food Enzymes in Brewers’ Mash   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch     1 
  
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Food 
Enzymes  to Enable the Use of Cellulase, Glucanase and 
Xylanase Obtained from Rasamsonia emersonii  
(previous name: Talaromyces emersonii ) as Food 
Enzymes in Brewers’ Mash  
Notice of Modification – Lists of Permitted Food Additives  
Reference Number: [NOM/ADM -0042] 
 
 
 December 3, 2014   
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Food Enzymes  to Enable the Use of Cellulase, Glucanase and Xylanase Obtained from 
Rasamsonia emersonii  (previous name: Talaromyces emersonii ) as Food Enzymes in Brewers’ Mash   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch     2 Summary  
 
Food additives are regulated in Canada under Marketing Authorizations  (MAs) issued by the 
Minister of Health and the Food and Drug 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 MA’s and published on Health Canada’s 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 t he safety of food additives when used under specified conditions in foods 
sold in Canada.  
 
Health Canada received a food additive submission seeking approval for the use of a food 
enzyme preparation containing cellulase, β -glucanase and xylanase from Rasamsonia emersonii  
(previous name: Talaromyces emersonii ) in brewers’ mash at a maximum level of use consistent 
with good manufacturing practice.  
 
All three enzymes in this preparation (cellulase, β -glucanase and xylanase) are permitted for use 
as food enzymes in certain foods in Canada.  Glucanase, which includes β -glucanase, is 
permitted for use in ale, beer, malt liquor, porter and stout.  However, Talaromyces emersonii  
has not previously been approved as a source organism for glucanase or any other p ermitted food 
enzyme.  Several other enzymes are already approved for use as food enzymes in brewers’ mash, 
but neither cellulase, glucanase, nor xylanase are among them.    
 
The results of Health Canada’s evaluation of available scientific data support th e safety and 
efficacy of cellulase, glucanase and xylanase from Rasamsonia emersonii  (previous name: 
Talaromyces emersonii ) when used in brewers’ mash as requested by the petitioner.  Therefore, 
Health Canada has modified the List of Permitted Food Enzymes  to extend the use of these three 
enzymes  by adding the entries 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  
C.2 Cellulase  Rasamsonia 
emersonii  (previous 
name: Talaromyces 
emersonii ) (1) Brewers’ 
Mash  (1) Good Manufacturing 
Practice  
 
 
 
 
  
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Food Enzymes  to Enable the Use of Cellulase, Glucanase and Xylanase Obtained from 
Rasamsonia emersonii  (previous name: Talaromyces emersonii ) as Food Enzymes in Brewers’ Mash   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch     3 Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted Source  Column 3  
Permitted in 
or upon  Column 4  
Maximum Level of Use and 
Other Conditions  
G.2 Glucanase  Rasamsonia 
emersonii  (previous 
name: Talaromyces 
emersonii ) (1) Brewers’ 
Mash  (1) Good Manufacturing 
Practice  
 
 
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted Source  Column 3  
Permitted in 
or upon  Column 4  
Maximum Level of Use and 
Other Conditions  
X.1 Xylanase  Rasamsonia 
emersonii  (previous 
name: Talaromyces 
emersonii ) (1) Brewers’ 
Mash  (1) Good Manufacturing 
Practice  
 
 
Rationale  
 
Health Canada’s Food Directorate completed a premarket safety assessment of the petitioner’s 
proposed use of cellulase, glucanase and xylanase from Rasamsonia emersonii  (previous name: 
Talaromyces emersonii ) in brewers’ mash .  The assessment con sidered microbiological, 
toxicological, chemical and technical aspects relevant to the petitioner’s request.     
 
Based on the results of this assessment, Health Canada’s Food Directorate considers that the data 
support the safety of cellulase, glucanase and xylanase from Rasamsonia emersonii  (previous 
name: Talaromyces emersonii ) when used under the conditions of use  set out in the tables above.  
The Department has therefore enabled the use of cellulase, glucanase, and xylanase from 
Rasamsonia emersonii  (previous name: Talaromyces emersonii ) as described in the above tables.  
 
Other Relevant Information   
 
The Food and  Drug Regulations  (FDR)  require that all food additives, including food enzymes, 
meet the food -grade specifications set out in the most recent edition of the Food Chemicals 
Codex (FCC) where such specifications exist and when there are no specifications in  the FDR. 
The FCC is a compendium of standards for purity and identity of food ingredients, including 
food additives, which is published by the United States Pharmacopeial Convention.  
 
 
Implementation and Enforcement  
 
The above modification came into force  December  3, 2014 , the day it was published in the  List 
of Permitted Food Enzymes .  
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Food Enzymes  to Enable the Use of Cellulase, Glucanase and Xylanase Obtained from 
Rasamsonia emersonii  (previous name: Talaromyces emersonii ) as Food Enzymes in Brewers’ Mash   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch     4  
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 permitted food additive  including cellulase, glucanase and xylanase from 
Rasamsonia emersonii  (previous name: Talaromyces emersonii ). 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 “ Cellulase, glucanase and xylanase " 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 0L2  
E-mail:  bcs-bipc@hc -sc.gc.ca