Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents to Enable the 
Use of Gelatin as a Gelling Agent in Calorie -Reduced Margarine   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch     1 
  
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted 
Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents 
to Enable the Use of Gelatin as a Gelling Agent in 
Calorie -Reduced Margarine  
 
Notice of Modification – Lists of Permitted Food Additives  
Reference Number: [NOM/ADM -0014] 
 
 
 August  13, 2013   
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents to Enable the 
Use of Gelatin as a Gelling Agent in Calorie -Reduced Margarine   
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 gelatin at a 
maximum level of use of 1.0% in calorie -reduced margarine.  
 
Gelatin is already permitted for use in Canada as a gelling agent in unstandardized foods at levels 
consistent with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) as well as i n a variety of standardized foods 
at levels consistent with GMP or up to 0.75%.  A s tandard of identity and composition is set out 
for calorie -reduced margarine in section B.09.017 of Division 9 of the Food and Drug 
Regulations  (Part B). Neither this standard nor any of the Lists of Permitted Food Additives  
contain a provision that specifically permits the addition of gelatin to calorie -reduced margarine.  
 
The results of Health Canada’s evaluation of available scientific data support t he safety of gelatin 
in calorie -reduced margarine.  Therefore, Health Canada has modified the List of Permitted 
Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thi ckening Agents  to extend the use of gelatin in calorie -
reduced margarine by adding the entry shown below to the list.  
 
Modification to the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents  
 
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted in or 
upon  Column 3  
Maximum Level of Use and Other 
Conditions  
G.1 Gelatin  (10)  
Calorie -reduced  
margarine  
 (10) 
1.0%  
 
 
Rationale  
 
Health Canada’s Food Directorate has completed a pre -market safety assessment of the use of 
gelatin in calorie -reduced margarine.  The assessment considered the toxicological, nutritional 
and technical aspects of gelatin when used as requested in the food additive submission.     
 
  
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents to Enable the 
Use of Gelatin as a Gelling Agent in Calorie -Reduced Margarine   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch     3  
Gelatin, when used as a food additive in foods sold in Canada, 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 ingredien ts, including food 
additives, which is published by the United States Pharmacopeial Convention.   
Health Canada consulted with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the appropriate 
food industry association.  No objections to the use of gelatin in  calorie -reduced margarine were 
received.  
 
Based on the results of the safety assessment, Health Canada’s Food Directorate considers that 
the data support the safety of gelatin when used under the conditions of use set out in the table 
above.  The Departme nt has therefore extended  the use of gelatin as described in the above table.  
  
Implementation and Enforcement  
 
The above modification came into force on August 13, 2013 , the day it was published in the List 
of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening 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 gelatin. Anyone wishing to submit new  scientific 
information on the use of gelatin in calorie -reduced margarine 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 " gelatin in calo rie-reduced margarine " 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