Health Canada’s Food Directorate completed a premarket safety assessment of a food additive submission seeking approval for the use of Spirulina extract as a coloring agent for food.  Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that is used in various food, feed and supplement products.  In January, Health Canada published a proposal to enable the use of spirulina extract as a coloring agent in various foods and opened the proposal to public comment for 75 days.  The results of the premarket assessment support the safety of spirulina extract for use as a coloring agent, so Health Canada has enabled the uses of this extract by modifying the List of Permitted Coloring Agents.  This became effective in September 2020.

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Posted on 6 November 2020