Background

Health Canada's Food Directorate completed a premarket safety assessment of a food additive submission seeking approval for the use of polysorbate 80 in the manufacture of spray-dried bacterial culture preparations for use in infant formula powders, dried infant cereal products and nutritional supplement powders.

Polysorbate 80 is already permitted for use in Canada as an emulsifying, gelling, stabilizing or thickening agent in a variety of foods.

The results of the premarket assessment support the safety of polysorbate 80 for its requested uses. Consequently, Health Canada has enabled the use of polysorbate 80 described in the information document below by modifying the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Accepted Uses, effective August 13, 2019.

The purpose of this communication is to publically announce the Department's decision in this regard and to provide the appropriate contact information for any inquiries or for those wishing to submit any new scientific information relevant to the safety of this food additive.

Information document

To obtain an electronic copy of the Health Canada’s Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Accepted Uses to Enable the Use of Polysorbate 80 in Bacterial Cultures Intended for Use in Various Infant Foods and Nutritional Supplement Powders - Reference Number: NOM/ADM-0138, please contact our publications office or send an e-mail to hc.publications-publications.sc@canada.ca with the words "hpfb BCS nom-adm-0138-eng" in the subject line of your e-mail.

Contact Information

Health Canada's Food Directorate is committed to reviewing any new scientific information on the safety in use of any permitted food additive, including polysorbate 80. Anyone wishing to submit new scientific information on the use of this additive or to submit any inquiries on this modification may do so in writing, by regular mail or electronically. If you wish to contact the Food Directorate electronically, please use the words "polysorbate 80 (NOM-0138)" in the subject line 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: hc.bcs-bipc.sc@canada.ca

Supporting Information

Food Additives