Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations (Food - Various Subjects)

This communication pertains to amendments to the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR) published in the Canada Gazette, Part II on 4 May 2016. Pursuant to the Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act (Bill C-38), the Department of Health (the Department) has undertaken a number of initiatives to create a more efficient and responsive regulatory framework for foods. The following regulatory amendments implement specific efficiencies enabled by Bill C-38.
- Repeal provisions respecting the sale of saccharin sweeteners in Part E to allow the Department to enable the use of saccharin as a food additive in table-top sweeteners.

Provisions in Part E relating to saccharin are repealed in order to enable the inclusion of saccharin as a food additive in table-top sweeteners in the new Marketing Authorization for Food Additives That May Be Used as Sweeteners, as saccharin has been deemed to be safe as a food additive.

On 24 April 2014, the Department enabled the use of saccharin as a food additive in a number of unstandardized foods (G/SPS/N/CAN/736/Add.1) and has determined the appropriateness to extend this use to table-top sweeteners. In order to do so, the regulatory restrictions on the sale of saccharin (that were introduced to Part E of the FDR at the time that saccharin was de-listed as a food additive) are removed.

These amendments come into force the day on which they are published (4 May 2016). A transitional provision is included for the amendment related to saccharin sweetener which will allow time for existing saccharin sweeteners which complied with the previous requirements in Part E to become compliant with the existing labelling and advertising requirement found in the FDR. These amendments do not alter existing compliance activities under the provisions of the FDA and the FDR, which are enforced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.