Background

Health Canada's Food Directorate completed a detailed safety assessment of a food additive submission seeking approval for the use of ground limestone in hard and soft candies and in inks for writing on various confections.

Health Canada published a Notice of Health Canada's Proposal to Enable the Use of Ground Limestone as a Colouring Agent in Understandardized Confectionery [NOP/ADP-0029] on October 4, 2018. The proposal was open to the public for comment for 75 days. No comments were received during this period.

As no safety concerns were identified through Health Canada's assessment, the Department has enabled the use of ground limestone as a food additive as described in the information document below by modifying the List of Permitted Colouring Agents, effective March 20, 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 Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Colouring Agents to Enable the Use of Ground Limestone in Unstandardized Confectionery - Reference Number: NOM/ADM-0129, please contact our publications office or send an e-mail to hc.publications-publications.sc@canada.ca with the subject heading "hpfb BCS nom-adm-0129-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 ground limestone. 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 "Ground limestone (NOM-0129)" 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