Health Canada Approves New Food Enzyme!

On October 30, 2024, Health Canada issued the official document M-FAA-24-13. In this document, the Ministry of Health proposed amendments to the current list of enzymes used in food. The main content of this revision is the approval of a specific source of food enzyme, leucyl aminopeptidase, which is extracted from the AT1088 strain of Aspergillus oryzae. Under the revised proposal, the enzyme will be allowed to be used in a wide range of food production processes.

Specifically, leucylaminopeptase will be used to produce various types of bread, including, but not limited to, colby cheese bread, dairy base flavor preparations, flour, hydrolyzed yeast, meat tenderizing preparations, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, and various bakery products other than bread. In addition, the enzyme will be used in whole wheat flour, yeast extract, and a variety of plant-based foods, including but not limited to dairy, eggs, meat, fish, seafood, and poultry products.

The effective date of the amendment is set for October 30, 2024, which means that from this date, food producers can start using leucylaminopeptide from Aspergillus oryzae AT1088 to produce the above-mentioned foods.

Also on October 30, 2024, Health Canada issued another document, M-FAA-24-12, proposing another amendment to the list of enzymes used in food. In the document, the Health Ministry approved another food enzyme, lipase, which is derived from the Aspergillus Niger strain PLR. Under the revised proposal, this lipase will be allowed to be used in the production of bread, flour, whole wheat flour, pasta (both dry and fresh) and non-standardized bakery products.

The revision also takes effect from October 30, 2024, meaning that food producers can start using lipase from the Aspergillus Niger strain PLR to produce the above foods from this date. With these amendments, Health Canada aims to ensure that enzyme additives used in food production meet the latest safety and quality standards, while also providing food producers with more options to meet consumer demand for diverse and high-quality foods.