Share your thoughts: Proposed amended livestock feed ingredient – Omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids canola oil

About the consultation

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is seeking comments on the reclassification of a single ingredient feed (SIF) description for Omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids canola oil.

Background

The Feeds Regulations require a proponent to submit a pre-market application for SIFs that are new, have been modified such that they differ significantly from a conventional SIF, or are for a new purpose. The CFIA evaluates the information in the application to establish that the SIF is safe, effective, and labelled correctly.

Approved SIFs are currently listed and defined in Schedules IV and V of the Feeds Regulations, with appropriate guarantees, standards, and label requirements. The CFIA will be transitioning to the Canadian Feed Ingredients Table (CFIT) that will be incorporated by reference into the Feeds Regulations, 2023 when they come into effect. In preparation for this new approach, the CFIA is consulting on new or amended SIFs so they can be added to the CFIT, once it comes into effect. More information on this is available in the Notice to industry: Consultations on new or amended single ingredient feed descriptions.

About the assessment

The CFIA's Animal Feed Program has identified that this SIF, omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids canola oil, has been classified incorrectly in the CFIT. Currently, this SIF has been classified and listed in Subclass 6.16 (Food modifying ingredients) in Class 6 (Non-nutritive ingredients) of the CFIT, indicating that this SIF has been assessed and approved to fortify foods of animal origin, and is also non -nutritive.

However, this SIF is nutritive and was assessed and approved with the purpose as a source of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in fish feeds. It was not approved to fortify foods of animal origin.

Therefore, the CFIA recommends omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids canola oil be moved from Subclass 6.16 (Food modifying ingredients) in Class 6 (Non-nutritive ingredients) to a new Subclass 5.5 – Essential fatty acids of Class 5 (Nutritive ingredients) in the CFIT, which would better align with the purpose of this SIF.

Reclassified SIF description

The CFIA intends to reclassify omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids canola oil and move this SIF from Subclass 6.16 (Food modifying ingredients) in Class 6 (Non-nutritive ingredients) to a new Subclass 5.5 (Essential fatty acids) of Class 5 (Nutritional ingredients) in part I of the CFIT, with the following description:

Omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids canola oil (or long chain omega-3 canola oil or n-3 LC–PUFAs canola oil)

is the product that consists of the prepress solvent extracted oil from whole seeds of the species Brassica napus which has been developed to synthesize omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFAs) including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The oil component of the seed contains less than 2 % erucic acid and the solid component of which seed contains less than 30 micromoles of any one or any mixture of 3-butenyl glucosinolate, 4-pentenyl glucosinolate, 2-hydroxy-3-butenyl glucosinolate and 2-hydroxy-4-pentenyl glucosinolate per gram of air dry, oil-free solid (GLC method of the Canadian Grain Commission).

The oil may be crude or refined, bleached and deodorized and it shall have an erucic acid content of less than 2 % (weight/weight) of the total fatty acid component. It shall contain not less than 4 % (weight/weight) combined eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) of the total fatty acid component, and a total omega-3 fatty acid content of not less than 10 % (weight/weight) of the total fatty acid component.

If an antioxidant is used, it must be approved for use in livestock feeds, it shall be used at the approved rate, and the common name or names shall be indicated on the label.

This ingredient is approved for use as a source of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFAs) in complete feed for fish.

It shall be labelled with guarantees for minimum % eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), maximum % eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), minimum % docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), maximum % docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), minimum % total omega-3 fatty acids, maximum % total omega-3 fatty acids, maximum % moisture, maximum % insoluble matter, maximum % unsaponifiable matter, maximum % free fatty acids, and maximum % erucic acid.

The ingredient number will be amended to reflect that the SIF has been moved from Subclass 6.16 to Subclass 5.5 in the CFIT. Minor edits were made to the ingredient description to standardize the language, no changes were made to the required guarantees. This is simply a reclassification of an existing SIF.

Additional information

During the drafting of the description for omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids micro-algal oil, the CFIA's Animal Feed Program identified that the existing description for omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids canola oil had been classified incorrectly in the CFIT. Both omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids micro-algal oil and omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids canola oil were assessed and approved as sources of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (for example, DHA and EPA) in the complete feed for fish and no food enrichment claims were assessed and approved. Since it is recognized that DHA and EPA are considered essential fatty acids in complete feed for fish (National Research CouncilNutrient Requirements of Fish and Shrimp, 2011), a new Subclass 5.5 (Essential fatty acids) in Class 5 (Nutritive ingredients) in the CFIT was needed and created. Both omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids canola oil and omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids micro-algal oil would be better classified under the new Subclass 5.5 (Essential fatty acids). Therefore, this SIF will be moved to a new Subclass 5.5 (Essential fatty acids) of Class 5 (Nutritive ingredients) in the CFIT.

Who was the focus of this consultation

Animal feed stakeholders, including:

• suppliers of feed ingredients
• commercial feed manufacturers
• feed importers, distributors and retailers
• industry associations
• other government departments
• international trading partners
• veterinarians

All comments are welcome from industry, governments, the public, or other organizations or individuals.

How to participate

The CFIA is seeking feedback on the intended purpose of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids canola oil, by moving this SIF from Class 6 (Non-nutritive ingredients) to Class 5 (Nutritive ingredients). The intended purpose of this SIF is as a source of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA and DHA) in complete feed for fish. No food enrichment claims were associated with the approval of the SIF.

Stakeholders are encouraged to share comments if there are:

• concerns about the accuracy of SIF description and the intended purpose
• additional scientific data that should be considered before the SIF is reclassified

Scientific questions or information will be reviewed by the CFIA evaluators for consideration. Non-scientific input will be evaluated and appropriate ways of addressing it will be explored.

Comments can be sent by email to the Animal Feed Program at cfia.afp-paa.acia@inspection.gc.ca. Please use the words "Omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids canola oil" in the subject line of the email. The CFIA is asking for comments and feedback by [August 21, 2023], 30 days from the date of this posting.

Next steps

The CFIA will review all comments received. If no significant scientifically valid concerns are raised, the CFIA will finalize the classification of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids canola oil. If there are significant concerns raised, the CFIA will evaluate the additional information. A what we heard report that summarizes the feedback received will be published on the CFIA website.

This SIF will be moved from Subclass 6.16 (Food modifying ingredients) in Class 6 (Non-nutritive ingredients) of the CFIT to Subclass 5.5 (Essential fatty acids) in Class 5 (Nutritive ingredients) of the CFIT at the next update, following publication of the Feeds Regulations, 2023.

Related information

• Feeds Regulations
• Feeds Act
• Consultations on proposed regulatory and policy changes
• Notice to industry: Consultations on new or amended single ingredient feed descriptions

Contact us

Animal Feed Program (AFP)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
59 Camelot Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0Y9
Email: cfia.afp-paa.acia@inspection.gc.ca