Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents  
to Extend  the Use of Sucrose Esters of Fatty Acids in Dry Sauce or Dry Soup  
Bases or Mixes and Unstandardized Dairy -Based Beverages   
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 Extend  the Use of Sucrose Esters of Fatty Acids in 
Dry Sauce or Dry Soup Bases or Mixes and 
Unstandardized Dairy -Based  Beverages 
 
Notice of Modification  – Lists of Permitted Food Additives  
Reference Number: [NO M/ADM-0121] 
July 18 , 2018 Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents  
to Extend  the Use of Sucrose Esters of Fatty Acids in Dry Sauce or Dry Soup  
Bases or Mixes and Unstandardized Dairy -Based Beverages   
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 Permitted 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 two  food additive submissions  seeking approval for 
the use of sucrose esters of fatty acids1 as an emulsifier and stabilizer  at a maximum level of use 
of 0.5%  in dry sauce  or dry soup bases  or mixes  and 0.07%  in unstandardized dairy -based 
beverages.  
 
Sucrose esters of fatty acids  is already permitted for use in Canada as an emulsifier and stabilizer  
in carotenoid colour preparations, unstandardized confectionery, unstandardized confectionery 
coatings, whipped vege table oil topping, unstandardized frozen dessert coatings and 
unstandardized frozen non- dairy desserts . The related food additive sucrose monoesters of lauric, 
palmitic or stearic acid is  permitted in unstandardized beverages  (which includes unstandardized 
dairy -based beverages) , unstandardized beverage concentrates and unstandardized beverage 
mixes.  
 
The Food Directorate determined that information related to the safety of sucrose esters of fatty 
acids supports extending its use to dry sauce bases or mixes  and dry soup bases or mixes  at a 
maximum level of 0.5% of the dry weight  of base or mix , and to unstandardized dairy -based 
beverages at a maximum level of 0.07% . Therefore, Health Canada has enabled its use as 
requested by adding the entr ies shown in the table below to the List of Permitted Emulsifying, 
Gelling, Stabilizing or Thi ckening Agents . 
  
Modification to the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents  
 
Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted in or U pon Column 3  
Maximum Level of Use 
and Other Conditions  
S.20 Sucrose Esters of 
Fatty Acids  (6)  
Unstandardized dairy -based beverages  (6) 
0.07%  
(7) (7) 
                                              
1 When referring to the name of the additive , the term “sucrose esters of fatty acids” is used in the singular.  Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents  
to Extend  the Use of Sucrose Esters of Fatty Acids in Dry Sauce or Dry Soup  
Bases or Mixes and Unstandardized Dairy -Based Beverages   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch    3 Item 
No. Column 1  
Additive  Column 2  
Permitted in or U pon Column 3  
Maximum Level of Use 
and Other Conditions  
Dry sauce bases or mixes; Dry soup 
bases or mixes  0.5% of the dry weight 
of base or mix  
Rationale  
 
Health Canada’s F ood Directorate completed a pre market safety assessment of the requested 
uses of sucrose esters of fatty acids . The assessment considered chemical, nutritional, and 
toxicological aspects of this additive, and found that the requested use s are acceptable from a 
food safety perspective. T herefore, the Food Directorate  has enabled the requested use s of 
sucrose esters of fatty acids  by modifying the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing 
or Thickening Agents  as shown in the above table.  
 
Other Relevant Information  
 
The Food and Drug Regulations  require that food additives such as sucrose esters of fatty acids 
that do not have food- grade specifications set out in Part B of the Regulations meet the most 
recent food -grade 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 spec ifications prepared 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 July 18, 2018, the day it was published in List of 
Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabili zing 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 sucrose esters of fatty acids . 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 " sucrose esters of fatty acids  (NOM -0121) " in the subject 
line of your e -mail.  Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents  
to Extend  the Use of Sucrose Esters of Fatty Acids in Dry Sauce or Dry Soup  
Bases or Mixes and Unstandardized Dairy -Based Beverages   
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch    4  
Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate  
251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway  
Tunney’s Pasture, PL: 2202C  
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0L2  
E-mail: hc.bcs -bipc.sc@canada.ca