Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Sequestering Agents  to Enable the Use of Calcium Disodium Ethylenediaminetetraacetate as a 
Sequestering Agent in Certain Unstandardized Beverages, Certain Unstandardized Beverage Mixes and Certain Unstandardized Beverage 
Concentrates   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Director ate, Health Products and Food Branch     1 
  
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted 
Sequestering Agents  to Enable the Use of Calcium 
Disodium Ethylenediaminetetraacetate as a 
Sequestering Agent in Certain Unstandardized 
Beverages, Certain Unstandardized Beverage Mixes and 
Certain Unstandardized Beverage Concentrates  
Notice of Modification – Lists of Permitted Food Additives  
Reference Number: [NOM/ADM -0046] 
 
 
 April 01, 201 5  
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Sequestering Agents  to Enable the Use of Calcium Disodium Ethylenediaminetetraacetate as a 
Sequestering Agent in Certain Unstandardized Beverages, Certain Unstandardized Beverage Mixes and Certain Unstandardized Beverage 
Concentrates   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Director ate, 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 He alth 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 the 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 calcium 
disodium e thylenediaminetetraacetate (calcium disodium EDTA) as a sequestering agent in 
various unstandardized beverages, including fortified beverages, sports drinks, and 
non-carbonated beverages, along with their mixes and concentrates, as well a s unstandardized tea 
beverage mixes and concentrates.  The requested maximum level of use is 33 p.p.m. as 
consumed, calculated as the anhydrous form.   
 
Calcium disodium EDTA is already permitted for use in Canada as a sequestering agent in soft 
drinks and  ready -to-drink teas, both of which are unstandardized beverages, at a maximum level 
of use of 33 p.p.m., calculated as the anhydrous form.   
 
The results of Health Canada’s evaluation of available scientific data support the safety of 
calcium disodium EDT A when used as requested by the petitioner.  Therefore, Health Canada 
has modified the List of Permitted Sequestering Agents  to extend the use of calcium disodium 
EDTA by ad ding the entry shown below to the list.   
 
Modification to the List of Permitted Sequestering Agents  
 
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted in or upon  Column 3  
Maximum Level of Use 
and Other Conditions  
C.2 Calcium Disodium 
Ethylenediaminetetraac
etate  
(Calcium Disodium 
EDTA)  (10) Unstandardized 
beverage concentrates, 
except unstandardized 
dairy beverage 
concentrates and 
unstandardized 
alcoholic beverage 
concentrates; 
Unstandardized 
beverage mixes, (10) 33 p.p.m., as 
consumed, calculated as 
the anhydrous form    
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Sequestering Agents  to Enable the Use of Calcium Disodium Ethylenediaminetetraacetate as a 
Sequestering Agent in Certain Unstandardized Beverages, Certain Unstandardized Beverage Mixes and Certain Unstandardized Beverage 
Concentrates   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Director ate, Health Products and Food Branch     3 except unstandardized 
dairy beverage mixes 
and unstandardized 
alcoholic beverage 
mixes; Unstandardized 
beverages, except 
unstandardized dairy 
beverages and 
unstandardized 
alcoholic beverages  
 
Since “ready -to-drink teas”  and “soft drinks” are both unstandardized beverages, the individual 
listings for these foods will be removed as these uses are subsumed under the new listing for 
“unstandardized beverages, except unstandardized dairy beverages and unstandardized alcoholic  
beverages”.  
 
Rationale  
 
Health Canada’s Food Directorate completed a pre -market safety assessment of calcium 
disodium EDTA for use in unstandardized beverages except unstandardized dairy beverages and 
unstandardized alcoholic beverages.  The assessment co nsidered toxicological, nutritional, 
chemical and technical aspects of calcium disodium EDTA when used as requested in the food 
additive submission.     
 
Based on the results of the safety assessment, Health Canada’s Food Directorate considers that 
the data support the safety of calcium disodium EDTA when used under the conditions of use set 
out in the table above.  The Department has therefore enabled the use of calcium disodium 
EDTA as described in the above table.  
 
Other Relevant Information  
 
Calcium disodium EDTA  used in foods sold in Canada must meet the food -grade specifications 
for this additive set out in the most recent edition of the Food Chemical s Codex  (FCC) . 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 April 01, 2015 , the day it was published in the  List of 
Permitted Sequestering 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.   
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Sequestering Agents  to Enable the Use of Calcium Disodium Ethylenediaminetetraacetate as a 
Sequestering Agent in Certain Unstandardized Beverages, Certain Unstandardized Beverage Mixes and Certain Unstandardized Beverage 
Concentrates   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Director ate, Health Products and Food Branch     4  
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 calcium disodium EDTA . 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 electronica lly.  If you wish to contact the Food 
Directorate electronically, please use the words “ Calcium Disodium EDTA " 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