Lesson 4 Flashcards
food standards, regulations and guides, food additives
Why do we need food standards, regulations, and grades?
to ensure safety and quality
Which institutions share responsibility for food safety and nutrition?
- federal, provincial, and territorial governments
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
food directorate works closely with these partners, as well as industry and health stakeholders, to ensure that Canadian food supply is safe and nutritious
Federal departments
responsible for food standards and regulations
- Health Canada
- Health Products and Food Branch (branch of HC)
- Food Directorate (division of HPFB)
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
- Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (Measurement Canada)
Provincial and municipal departments
responsible for food standards and regulations
- BC Ministry of Health (provincial)
- Public Health Inspectors (municipal)
HPFB of Health Canada
federal government
responsible for establishing regulations, policies, and standards for safety and nutritional quality of food
e.g. regulations for food and drugs, food additives; standards of identity and composition for foods
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
federal government
- enforces regulations set by Health Canada
- inspection of food (e.g. processing plants, animal and plant health)
- administers and enforces non-health and safety-related policies and regulations
Measurement Canada
Innovation, Science, and Economic Development
responsible for accuracy in the selling of measured goods
* developing and enforcing laws related to measurement accuracy
* approving and inspecting measuring devices, and investigating complaints of suspected inaccurate measurement
What’s the provincial government responsible for?
food produced and sold exclusively within borders
public health inspectors visit facilities (e.g. restaurants, factories)
Where are specific regulations found?
Safe Food for Canadian Regulation
Consumer protection laws
excerpts from FDA of Canada (Sections 3, 4, 5, 7)
No person shall, advertise, label, or manufacture any food, drug, cosmetic that…
* has poisonous/harmful substances
* is unfit for human consumption
* advertises cure/treatment for diseases (2002 amendments)
Standards of food identity and composition
part of consumer protection laws in FDA Canada
- standards of identity states what the food shall be and defines or idenfies the food or ingredient
- composition standards list specific amounts of mandatory and permitted ingredients
- there are standards of identity and compositions for >500 foods
- there are 28 divisions in the FDA
15 core mandatory labelling requirements
- bilingual labelling
- common name
- date markings and storage instruction
- nutrition labelling
- list of ingredients and allergens
- name and principal place of business
- net quantity
- legibility and location
- irradiated foods
- country of origin
- sweeteners
- food additives
- fortification
- grades
- standards of identity
best before date is mandated for foods with a shelf life of 90 days or less
Labelling in the nutritional fact table
- serving size
- energy
- fat (saturated, trans FAs, cholesterol)
- sodium
- carbohydrates (dietary fibres, sugars)
- vitamins and mineral nutrients (potassium, calcium, iron)
Nutrient content and diet-related health claims
- disease reduction claims and therapeutic claims (only for natural health products)
- function claims
- nutrients function claims
- probiotic claims
- general health claims
Acceptable disease risk reduction claims
- sodium and potassium
- calcium and vitamin D
- saturated and trans fats
- cancer risk reduction
- heart disease
- dental caries
excludes jams and jellies, olives, fruits and vegetables
Disease reduction claim for sodium and potassium
a healthy diet low in sodium and high in potassium reduces risk of high blood pressure
Disease reduction claim for calcium and vitamin D
a healthy diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D reduces risk of osteoporosis
Disease reduction claim for saturated and trans fat
a healthy diet low in saturated and trans fat reduces risk of heart disease
product needs to be providing at least 10% of the weighted nutrient intake of a vitamin or mineral
Disease reduction claim for cancer and heart disease
a healthy diet rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables reduces risk of some types of cancers and heart disease
Disease reduction claim for dental caries
non-fermentable carbohydrates in gums and hard candies reduces dental caries
Food grades for processed fruits and vegetables
- flavor and aroma
- color
- tenderness and maturity
- uniformity of size and shape
- consistency of texture
- appearance of the liquid medium (e.g. syrup)
- freedom of defects and foreign material
Marbling in Canada A food grades for beef
marbling presents fat covering that is
* firm and white, or slightly tinged with a reddish or amber color
* not less than 2mm in thickness at the measurement site
- must also comply with certain maturity level and well-muscled (high in lean meat, low in fat)
- lower price Canada B (Justice Canada) and D (reserved for mature cows with meat destined for further processing like canned, stews, soups)
Minimum marbling requirement each Canada A food grade
highest to lowest
- Prime: slightly abundant
- AAA: small marbling
- AA: slight marbling
- A: trace marbling (but not devoid)
Food grades for eggs
- Canada A, B, C, Nest Run (highest to lowest)
- based on weight, cleanliness, soundness and shape of shell, shape and position of yolk during candling, size of air cell (small = fresh), abnormalities (e.g. blood spots)
candling: shining a light through an egg to see yolk and other internal parts
Standards and regulations for natural health products
- 1999 Health Canada directorate for NHPs (including medicinal ingredients)
- changed to Natural and Non-prescription Health Product Directorate (NNHP) in 2014 for vitamins, minerals, homeopathic preps, probiotics, botanicals
- checks for safety, quality, efficacy, administration dose and route, health claims
Codex Alimentarius Commission
international food standards established by WHO and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN in 1963
with 188 member countries
Food additives
Canadian definition
any chemical substance that is added to food during preparation or storage and either becomes a part of the food or affects its characteristics for the purpose of achieving a particular technical effect
MSG is not a food additive!
What does the Canadian definition of food additives exclude?
- some food ingredients (e.g. salt, starch, sugar)
- vitamins, minerals, amino acids
- spices, seasonings, flavoring preparations
- agricultural chemicals, veterinary drugs, or food packaging materials*****
***** included as indirect food additives in the US but are contaminants in Canada (set maximum level)
3 guidelines for use of food additives in Canada
- safe for continued use
- must not lead to deception
- results in an advantage to the consumer by improving or maintaing the nutritive value, quantity, quality, or acceptability of food (e.g. makes food palatable)
permission not granted if food additive doesn’t provide an advantage even if proven to be safe
Information about each food additive in Food and Drug Regulations
Division 16
- purpose of the food additive (e.g. preservatives, anti-caking agents)
- name of the additive used for that purpose
- foods in which they are permitted
- maximum amount permitted
there are 15 categories of food additives!
3 steps of food additive approval process
- Manufacturer submits applications to Health Canada with information on the additive, amount and purpose of use, methods for analysis, safety tests, sample, etc.
- Health Canada solicits comments from interested parties through an information letter
- Panel of HC and outside experts weight the risks and benefits
decision takes years!
How are acceptable levels of food additives decided?
- animal studies: no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) = highest concentration tested which caused no harmful effects in test animals
- in humans: no effect level = animal NOAEL/safety factor (100 or 1000)
no effect level/safety factor determines ADI
Acceptable daily intake (ADI)
- daily dose which over an entire lifetime appears to be “without appreciable risk”
- takes into account the probable daily intake based on food consumption estimates
increase dose until no effect threshold (short-term toxicity) is reached
Criteria for permissible levels of food additives
according to FAO
PDI < ADI and there is a justified need (function) for that additive
* maintain nutritional quality
* enhance stability/shelf life
* make the food attractive without deception
* essential aid to food processing
What is aspartame metabolized to?
- phenylalanine and aspartic acid (amino acids naturally occurring in proteins)
- methanol (toxic at high doses with no effect level = 50 12oz cans of beverage)
methanol is formed in other foods too, like pectin of fruits and vegetables, juices (1 cup tomato juice has 6x more methanol than 1 cup diet pop)
Diketopiperazine (DKP)
byproduct of aspartame due to long-term storage (degrades over time) or exposure to high temperatures
* not a common food ingredient
* will cause loss of sweetness intensity
* no evidence of carcinogenicity (yet to be tested)
Safety assessment of aspartame
according to Health Canada
no evidence to pose a health hazard to consumers (with exception!)
* evaluated toxicological tests in lab animals
* continues to examine results of clinical studies (humans)
also deemed safe by Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), WHO, and Scientific Committee for Food of the EC
Health risk of aspartame
harmful to people with metabolic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU)
Mandatory labelling requirement for aspartame
- statement on the label saying “contains Aspartame” or “sweetened by Aspartame” individually or combined with other sweeteners
- include aspartame in ingredient list
- indicate aspartame content expressed in mg/serving of the stated size
- state “Aspartame contains phenylalanine”
3 measures to minimize risk of aspartame
- continue research for possible harmr
- encouragement for alternatives/potentiators
- customize labelling requirements
Outcome of risk/benefit analysis for aspartame
- approved as food additive: benefits outweigh risks and it complies with food additive regulations
- permitted at specific levels of use in beverages, desserts, breakfast cereals, yogurt, spreads
Benefits of nitrites
- antimicrobial (controls Clostridium botulinum to prevent botulism)
- enhanced color (pink), cured meat flavor, and texture
Clostridium botolinum is an anaerobic bacterium that produces spores and toxins
Risks of nitrite
possible formation of nitrosamines (nitrite + amines) with some types being carcinogenic
from cigarette smoking (17), beer (0.3-0.97), automobile interiors, cosmetics, cooked bacon (0.17), scotch whiskey
Sources of nitrites (NO2-)
- cured meats have a minor contribution to our total nitrites
- tobacco products, beer, fried bacon have a much higher contribution
- intrinsic production via nitrates (NO3-) in saliva
Concentrations of nitrates and nitrites
- nitrates: naturally in vegetables (86%) and saliva; cured meat (9%); other foods (5%)
- nitrites: converted from nitrates in our saliva (77%); cured meat (21%); other foods (2%)
3 measures to minimize risks of nitrite
- continue research for possible alternatives/potentiators
- upper limit has been established
- educate consumers
How can you minimize nitrosamines from cured meat?
- ascorbic acid, Na-erythorbate (isoascorbate), tocopherol (Vitamin E)
- lactic acid cultures and fermentable sugar to control C. botulinum (through acidic pH)
Outcome of risk/benefit analysis for nitrite
- approved as food additive (preservative): benefits outweight risks and complies with food additive regulations
- permitted for specific levels of use in dry sausage, preserved meat products, ripened cheese, side bacon, pumping pickle, cover pickle, dry cure
no other product as effective against C. botulinum!
