Notice of Modification to the Lists of 
Permitted Food Additives to Extend  the 
Use of Three Food Additives to  Certain 
Plant Protein Isolate -based Products  
 
Notice of Modification  – Lists of Permitted Food 
Additives  
Reference Number: NOM/ADM-0168 
July 22, 2021 
 Notice of M odification to the List of Permitted Food Additives to Extend  the Use of Three Food Additives to Certain Plant Protein 
Isolate -based Products – Reference Numb er: NOM/ADM -0168| 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.  
Heal th Canada’s Food Directorate received three food additive submissions , two seeking approval for the use 
of gellan gum  and nisin , respectively,  in a liquid plant protein isolate -based product , and the third seeking  
approval for the use of  transglutaminase  from  Streptoverticillium mobaraense  S-8112  in the same liquid 
product  as well as in the manufacture of a solid (“patty”) plant protein isolate -based product .  
These products  resemble  egg products , but are not equivalent to egg products with respect to nut rient 
composition and protein quality . The liquid product is to be cooked prior to consumption  to make a food 
similar to  an om elet or scramble made from eggs . The solid “patty” , which resembles an egg  omelet, 
essentially starts as the same liquid plant protein isolate -based product , without  the nisin and gellan gum, 
but is baked by the  manufacturer, sold in a frozen format, and re -heated in an oven by a restaurant, 
institution, or consumer .  
Gellan gum and nisin  are to b e used in the liquid product  at a maximum level of  0.2% and 25 ppm , 
respectively . Transglutaminase is to be added to  the liquid mix at Good Manufacturing Practice , prior to the 
liquid mix being baked to make the “patty” . 
In Canada, gellan gum, nisin, and transglutaminase are already permitted  for use  as food additives in a variety 
of other  foods.    
The results of the Food Directorate’s evaluation of available scientific data support the safety and efficacy of 
these three additives for  use as set out in the tables below. Therefore, Health Canada has modified the List of 
Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizi ng or Thickening Agents , Part 2 of the List of Permitted Preservatives  
and the List of Permitted Food Enzymes , to extend the use of these three food additives to plant protein 
isolate -based products t hat resemble egg products by adding the entr ies shown below to the respective Lists. 
In ad dition, the name of the  source for transglutaminase has been updated from “ Streptoverticillium 
mobaraense ” to “Streptomyces  mobaraensis ” to reflect its latest taxonom ic classification . 
 
Modification s to the Lists of Permit ted Food Additives  
The following new sub -item (1 3) was added to item G.2 in 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.2 Gellan Gum  (13) 
Liquid plant protein isolate -based  
products that resemble egg products  (13) 
0.2%  Notice of M odification to the List of Permitted Food Additives to Extend  the Use of Three Food Additives to Certain Plant Protein 
Isolate -based Products – Reference Numb er: NOM/ADM -0168| 3 
  
The following new sub -item 7 was added to item N.1 in Part 2 of the List of Permitted Preservatives : 
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 3  
Permitted in or Upon  Column 4  
Maximum Level of Use and 
Other Conditions  
N.1 Nisin  (7) 
Liquid plant protein isolate -based 
products that resemble egg products  (7) 
25 p.p.m.  
 
 
The following new sub -item 13 was added to item T.01 in the List of Permitted Food Enzymes  and the name 
of the permitted source in Column 2 of item T.01 was updated to the entry sho wn below  
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted Source  Column 3  
Permitted in or Upon  Column 4  
Maximum Level of Use 
and Other Conditions  
T.01  Transglutaminase  Streptomyces 
mobaraensis  S-8112 
(previous name: 
Streptoverticillium 
mobaraense  S-8112)  (13) 
Liquid or solid p lant 
protein isolate -based 
products that 
resemble egg products  (13) 
Good Manufacturing 
Practice  
Rationale  
Health Canad a’s Food Directorate completed  a premarket safety and efficacy assessment  of the requested 
use of each of gellan  gum, nisin and transglutaminase .  The assessment considered, where  applicable  to the 
additive , aspects related to allergenicity, chemistry , molecular biology , microbiology, nutrition , toxicology , 
and technical function, and concluded that the safety and efficacy of these food additives for their requested 
use is supported .   
Therefore, the Department has enabled the requested uses of these food additives  by adding the entries 
shown in the tables above t o the  List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents , Part 
2 of the List of Permitted Preservatives , and the List of Permitted Food Enzymes . 
Other Relevant Information  
The Food and Drug Regulations  require that food additives such  as gellan gum, nisin and transglutaminase  
that do not have food -grade specifications set out in Part B of the Regulations meet the food -grade 
specifications set out in the most recent edition of 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 Specifi cations  and its associated General 
Specifications and Considerations for Enzyme Preparations  are prepared by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert 
Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United 
Nations.  Notice of M odification to the List of Permitted Food Additives to Extend  the Use of Three Food Additives to Certain Plant Protein 
Isolate -based Products – Reference Numb er: NOM/ADM -0168| 4 
 Implemen tation and Enforcement  
The above modification s came into force July 22, 2021, the day they were  published in the List of Permitted 
Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents , Part 2 of the List of Permitted Preservatives  and the List 
of Permitted Food Enzymes ,.  
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 new scientific information on the safety in use of 
any permitted  food additive, including gellan gum, nisin and transglut aminase . Anyone wishing to submit 
new scientific information on the use of these additives  or to submit inquiries on this modification may do so 
in writing, by regular mail or electronically. If you wish to contact the Food Directorate electro nically, plea se 
use the words " Food additives in plant protein isolate -based products (NOM -0168)" 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 0K9  
E-mail: hc.bcs -bipc.sc@canada.ca