Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Sweeteners  to Enable the Use of  
Erythritol  in Food  Thickener Products  
  
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch    1 
  
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted 
Sweeteners  to Enable the Use of Erythritol in 
Food Thickener Products  
 
Notice of Modification  – Lists of Permitted Food Additives  
Reference Number: [NO M/ADM-0111] 
March 13 , 2018  
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Sweeteners  to Enable the Use of  
Erythritol  in Food  Thickener Products  
  
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  (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 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 a food additive submission seeking approval for the 
use of erythritol in a  food thickener product  at a level of 2 .0%. The food thickener  product , 
which is sold with instruction s for use,  is intended to be added to low -viscosity foods  (e.g. soups, 
puréed meals , and beverages such as  water, milk, coffee, tea, juice, meal replacement beverages, 
and nutritional supplement beverages)  to make them easier to swallow and to reduce the risk of 
aspiration by  individuals who have difficulty swallowing. The purpose of  using  the erythritol is 
to offset  the flavour  that the thickener imparts to food .    
 Erythritol is already a permitted food additive in Canada.  The Food Directorate determined that 
information related to the safety of erythritol supports extending its use to  food thickener products 
at a level of 2.0%. Therefore, Health Canada has enabled its use in food thickener products at this level by adding the entry shown in the table below to the List of Permitted Sweeteners
. 
  
Modification to the List of Permitted Sweete ners 
 
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted in or U pon Column 3  
Maximum Level of Use and 
Other Conditions  
E.1 Erythritol  (21) Food thickener products  (21) 2.0%  
 
Rationale  
 
Health Canada’s F ood Directorate completed a pre market safety assessment of the requested use 
of erythritol.  The assessment did not identify any chemical, microbiological, nutritional, or 
toxicological food safety concerns.  Therefore, the Food Directorate  has enabled the requested 
use of erythritol by modifying the List of Permitted Sweeteners  as shown in the above table.  
 
Other Relevant Information  
 
The Food and Drug Regulations  require that food additives such as erythritol that do not have 
food- grade specifications set out in Part B of the Regulations meet the most recent food -grade  
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Sweeteners  to Enable the Use of  
Erythritol  in Food  Thickener Products  
  
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch    3 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 Compendium of Food Additive Specifications , which 
contains specifications prepar ed 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 M arch 13 , 2018, the day it was published i n the List of 
Permitted Sweeteners . 
 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 erythritol .  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 t o contact the Food Directorate electronically, 
please use the words " Erythritol  (NOM  -0111 )" 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