Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted pH Adjusting Agents, Acid -Reacting Materials  and Water  
Correcting Agents to Enable the Use of Sodium Hydroxide as a pH Adjusting Agent in  Liquid  
Egg-White (Liquid Albumen) and Frozen Egg -White (Frozen Albumen)   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch     1 
  
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted pH 
Adjusting Agents, Acid -Reacting Materials and Water 
Correcting Agents to Enable the Use of Sodium 
Hydroxide as a pH Adjusting Agent in Liquid Egg -
White (Liquid Albumen) and Frozen Egg -White 
(Frozen Albumen)  
 
Notice of Modification – Lists of Permitted Food Additives  
Reference Number: [NOM/ADM -0012] 
 
 
 July 2, 2013   
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted pH Adjusting Agents, Acid -Reacting Materials  and Water  
Correcting Agents to Enable the Use of Sodium Hydroxide as a pH Adjusting Agent in  Liquid  
Egg-White (Liquid Albumen) and Frozen Egg -White (Frozen Albumen)   
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 MAs.  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.  
 
Health Canada received a food additive submission seeking appr oval for the use of sodium 
hydroxide in liquid and frozen egg -white. Sodium hydroxide is permitted for use as a pH 
adjusting agent in unstandardized foods and a variety of standardized foods at a level consistent 
with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). Standards of identity and composition are set out for 
liquid and frozen egg -white in section B.22.036 of Division 22 of the Food and Drug 
Regulations  (Part B). Although this standard allows for the use of pH adjusting agents in these 
foods, sodium hydroxide was not among those pH adjusting agents permitted to be used in liquid 
and frozen egg -white under the List of Permitted pH Adjusting Agents, Acid -Reacting Ma terials 
and Water Correcting Agents . 
 
The results of Health Canada’s evaluation of available scientific data support the safety in use of 
sodium hydroxide in liquid and frozen egg -white.  Therefore, Health Canada has modified the 
List of Permitted pH Adjusting Agents, Acid -Reacting Materials and Water Correcting Agents  to 
extend the use of sodium hydroxide to liquid and frozen egg -white by adding the entry shown 
below to the list.  
 
Modification to the  List of Permitted pH Adjusting Agents, Acid -Reacting Materials and 
Water Correcting Agents  
 
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted in or 
upon  Column 3  
Maximum Level of Use and Other 
Conditions  
S.15 Sodium 
Hydroxide  (7)  
Frozen egg -white 
(frozen albumen); 
Liquid egg -white 
(liquid albumen)  (7) 
Good Manufacturing Practice  
 
 
 
 
  
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted pH Adjusting Agents, Acid -Reacting Materials  and Water  
Correcting Agents to Enable the Use of Sodium Hydroxide as a pH Adjusting Agent in  Liquid  
Egg-White (Liquid Albumen) and Frozen Egg -White (Frozen Albumen)   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch     3 Rationale  
  
Health Canada’s Food Directorate has completed a pre -market safety assessment of sodium 
hydroxide in liquid and frozen egg -white.  The assessment considered the toxicologi cal, 
microbiological, nutritional and technical aspects of the proposal.  
 
Sodium hydroxide must meet the food -grade specifications for this additive set out in the most 
recent edition of the Food Chemicals Codex , a compendium of standards for the purity and 
identity of food ingredients, including food additives, which is published by the United States 
Pharmacopeial Convention.   
 
Since the food additive submission requested uses of a food additive in foods that a re 
standardized under the Food and Drug Regulations , Health Canada consulted with the Canadian 
Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the appropriate food industry association, both of which 
had no objection to the use of sodium hydroxide in liquid and frozen e gg-white, as set out in the 
above table.  
 
Based on the results of the safety assessment, Health Canada’s Food Directorate considers that 
the data support the safety of sodium hydroxide when used under the conditions of use set out in 
the table above.  The Department has therefore enabled the use of sodium hydroxide as described 
in the above table.  
  
Implementation and Enforcement  
 
The above modifications came into force July 2, 2013 , the day they were published in the List of 
Permitted pH Adjusting Agents, Acid -Reacting Materials and Water Correcting Agents . 
 
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 sodium hydroxide.  Anyone wishing to submit 
new scientific information on the use of sodium hydroxide in liquid and frozen egg -white or to 
submit any inquiries may do so in writing, by regular mail or electronically. If you wish to 
contact the Food Directorate electronicall y, please use the words " sodium hydroxide in liquid 
and frozen egg -white " in the subject line of your e -mail.  
 
Bureau of Chemical Safety  
   251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway  
   Tunney’s Pasture, PL: 2202C  
   Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0 K9 
   E-mail: bcs-bipc@hc -sc.gc.ca