Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Carrier or Extraction Solvents  to Enable the Use of Methyl Alcohol (Methanol)  
as a Sol vent in the Manufacture of Stevi ol Glycosides   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch     1 
  
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Carrier or 
Extraction Solvents  to Enable the Use of Methyl Alcohol 
(Methanol) as a Solvent in the Manufacture of Steviol 
Glycosides  
Notice of Modification – Lists of Permitted Food Additives  
Reference Number: [NOM/ADM -0033] 
 
 
 August  19, 2014   
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Carrier or Extraction Solvents  to Enable the Use of Methyl Alcohol (Methanol)  
as a Sol vent in the Manufacture of Stevi ol Glycosides   
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 (FDR) . 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 and published on Health 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 submissio n 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.  
 
As per section B.01.045 of the FDR, permitted food additives must meet their respective 
specification.  Accordingly, steviol glycosides used in foods sold in Canada must meet the 
specification published by the Food Chemicals Codex . Subsequent to enabling t he food additive 
use of steviol glycosides in 2012, it was noted that methanol is a permitted extraction solvent 
under the Food Chemicals Codex  specification for steviol glycosides.  However, methanol does 
not appear in the List of Permitted Carrier or Extraction Solvents  as a permitted extraction 
solvent in this food additive preparation.  
 
Methyl alcohol (methanol) is already permitted for use in Canada as a solvent in na tural 
extractives, spice extracts, hop extract as well as in meat and egg marking inks.  
 
The results of Health Canada’s evaluation of available scientific data support the safety of 
methanol when used as set out in the table below.  Therefore, Health Cana da has modified  the 
List of Permitted Carrier or Extraction Solvents  to extend the use of methyl alcohol (methanol) 
as a solvent to “steviol glycosides” at a maximum level of use of 200 p.p.m by adding the entry 
shown below to the list.   
 
Modification to the List of Permitted Carrier or Extraction Solvents  
 
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted in or 
Upon  Column 3  
Maximum 
Residue  Column 4  
Maximum Level of Use 
and Other Conditions  
14 Methyl 
Alcohol 
(methanol)  (4) 
 Steviol glycosides   (4)  
200 p.p.m.  
 
Rationale  
 
Health Canada’s Food Directorate completed a pre -market safety assessment of methyl alcohol 
(methanol).  The assessment considered chemical and toxicological aspects of methyl alcohol 
when used as described above.      
Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Carrier or Extraction Solvents  to Enable the Use of Methyl Alcohol (Methanol)  
as a Sol vent in the Manufacture of Stevi ol Glycosides   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch     3  
Based on the results of the safety assessment, Health Canada’s Food Directorate considers that 
the data support the safety of methyl alcohol when used under the conditions of use set out in the 
table above.  The Department has therefore enabled the use of methyl alcohol (methanol) as 
described in the above table.  
 
Other Relevant Information  
 
Both the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) specification for Rebaudioside A and the Joint Expert 
Committee for Food Additives (JECFA) specification for steviol glycosides all ow for the use of 
ethanol (up to 5000 p.p.m.) and methanol (up to 200 p.p.m.) as extraction solvents. After 2012, 
the Food Chemicals Codex  developed a specification for steviol glycosides.  The FCC 
specification for steviol glycosides includes the same ext raction solvents and levels of use as the 
specification for Rebaudioside A.  
 
Implementation and Enforcement  
 
The above modification came into force August  19, 2014 , the day it was published in List of 
Permitted Carrier or Extraction Solvents . 
 
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 methyl alcohol. 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 electronically. If you wish to contact the Food Directorate electronically, 
please use the words " methanol " in the subject lin e 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