Lesson 4

Question 1

Why do we need food standards, regulations, and grades?

Answer 1

to ensure safety and quality

Question 2

Which institutions share responsibility for food safety and nutrition?

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

Federal departments

responsible for food standards and regulations

Answer 3

• 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)

Question 4

Provincial and municipal departments

responsible for food standards and regulations

Answer 4

• BC Ministry of Health (provincial)
• Public Health Inspectors (municipal)

Question 5

HPFB of Health Canada

federal government

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

federal government

Answer 6

• 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

Question 7

Measurement Canada

Innovation, Science, and Economic Development

Answer 7

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

Question 8

What’s the provincial government responsible for?

Answer 8

food produced and sold exclusively within borders

public health inspectors visit facilities (e.g. restaurants, factories)

Question 9

Where are specific regulations found?

Answer 9

Safe Food for Canadian Regulation

Question 10

Consumer protection laws

excerpts from FDA of Canada (Sections 3, 4, 5, 7)

Answer 10

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)

Question 11

Standards of food identity and composition

part of consumer protection laws in FDA Canada

Answer 11

• 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

Question 12

15 core mandatory labelling requirements

Answer 12

• 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

Question 13

Labelling in the nutritional fact table

Answer 13

• serving size
• energy
• fat (saturated, trans FAs, cholesterol)
• sodium
• carbohydrates (dietary fibres, sugars)
• vitamins and mineral nutrients (potassium, calcium, iron)

Question 14

Nutrient content and diet-related health claims

Answer 14

• disease reduction claims and therapeutic claims (only for natural health products)
• function claims
• nutrients function claims
• probiotic claims
• general health claims

Question 15

Acceptable disease risk reduction claims

Answer 15

• 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

Question 16

Disease reduction claim for sodium and potassium

Answer 16

a healthy diet low in sodium and high in potassium reduces risk of high blood pressure

Question 17

Disease reduction claim for calcium and vitamin D

Answer 17

a healthy diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D reduces risk of osteoporosis

Question 18

Disease reduction claim for saturated and trans fat

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Disease reduction claim for cancer and heart disease

Answer 19

a healthy diet rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables reduces risk of some types of cancers and heart disease

Question 20

Disease reduction claim for dental caries

Answer 20

non-fermentable carbohydrates in gums and hard candies reduces dental caries

Question 21

Food grades for processed fruits and vegetables

Answer 21

• 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

Question 22

Marbling in Canada A food grades for beef

Answer 22

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)

Question 23

Minimum marbling requirement each Canada A food grade

highest to lowest

Answer 23

• Prime: slightly abundant
• AAA: small marbling
• AA: slight marbling
• A: trace marbling (but not devoid)

Question 24

Food grades for eggs

Answer 24

• 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

Question 25

Standards and regulations for natural health products

Answer 25

* 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

Question 26

Codex Alimentarius Commission

Answer 26

international food standards established by WHO and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN in 1963 ## Footnote with 188 member countries

Question 27

Food additives ## Footnote Canadian definition

Answer 27

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 ## Footnote MSG is not a food additive!

Question 28

What does the Canadian definition of food additives exclude?

Answer 28

* some food ingredients (e.g. salt, starch, sugar) * vitamins, minerals, amino acids * spices, seasonings, flavoring preparations * agricultural chemicals, veterinary drugs, or food packaging materials***** ## Footnote ***** included as indirect food additives in the US but are contaminants in Canada (set maximum level)

Question 29

3 guidelines for use of food additives in Canada

Answer 29

1. **safe** for continued use 2. must not lead to **deception** 3. 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) ## Footnote permission not granted if food additive doesn't provide an advantage even if proven to be safe

Question 30

Information about each food additive in Food and Drug Regulations ## Footnote Division 16

Answer 30

* **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 ## Footnote there are 15 categories of food additives!

Question 31

3 steps of food additive approval process

Answer 31

1. Manufacturer submits applications to Health Canada with information on the additive, amount and purpose of use, methods for analysis, safety tests, sample, etc. 2. Health Canada solicits comments from interested parties through an information letter 3. Panel of HC and outside experts weight the risks and benefits ## Footnote decision takes years!

Question 32

How are acceptable levels of food additives decided?

Answer 32

* **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) ## Footnote no effect level/safety factor determines ADI

Question 33

Acceptable daily intake (ADI)

Answer 33

* 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 ## Footnote increase dose until no effect threshold (short-term toxicity) is reached

Question 34

Criteria for permissible levels of food additives ## Footnote according to FAO

Answer 34

**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

Question 35

What is aspartame metabolized to?

Answer 35

* phenylalanine and aspartic acid (amino acids naturally occurring in proteins) * methanol (toxic at high doses with no effect level = 50 12oz cans of beverage) ## Footnote 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)

Question 36

Diketopiperazine (DKP)

Answer 36

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)

Question 37

Safety assessment of aspartame ## Footnote according to Health Canada

Answer 37

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) ## Footnote also deemed safe by Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), WHO, and Scientific Committee for Food of the EC

Question 38

Health risk of aspartame

Answer 38

harmful to people with metabolic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU)

Question 39

Mandatory labelling requirement for aspartame

Answer 39

* 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"

Question 40

3 measures to minimize risk of aspartame

Answer 40

1. continue research for possible harmr 2. encouragement for alternatives/potentiators 3. customize labelling requirements

Question 41

Outcome of risk/benefit analysis for aspartame

Answer 41

* **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

Question 42

Benefits of nitrites

Answer 42

* **antimicrobial** (controls Clostridium botulinum to prevent botulism) * enhanced color (pink), cured meat flavor, and texture ## Footnote **Clostridium botolinum** is an anaerobic bacterium that produces spores and toxins

Question 43

Risks of nitrite

Answer 43

possible formation of nitrosamines (nitrite + amines) with some types being carcinogenic ## Footnote from cigarette smoking (17), beer (0.3-0.97), automobile interiors, cosmetics, cooked bacon (0.17), scotch whiskey

Question 44

Sources of nitrites (NO2-)

Answer 44

* 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

Question 45

Concentrations of nitrates and nitrites

Answer 45

* **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%)

Question 46

3 measures to minimize risks of nitrite

Answer 46

1. continue research for possible alternatives/potentiators 2. upper limit has been established 3. educate consumers

Question 47

How can you minimize nitrosamines from cured meat?

Answer 47

* ascorbic acid, Na-erythorbate (isoascorbate), tocopherol (Vitamin E) * lactic acid cultures and fermentable sugar to control C. botulinum (through acidic pH)

Question 48

Outcome of risk/benefit analysis for nitrite

Answer 48

* **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 ## Footnote no other product as effective against C. botulinum!