Share your thoughts: Proposed new livestock feed ingredient – Multi-enzyme carbohydrases

Current status: Open

Opened on May 29, 2026 and will close to the new input on July 13, 2026

About the consultation

We are seeking comments on the proposed new single ingredient feed (SIF) description for multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism).

Background

The Feeds Regulations, 2024 require a proponent to submit a pre-market application for new feed ingredients or SIFs that have been modified such that they differ from an approved SIF, or SIFs that are for a new purpose. We evaluate the information in the application to establish that the SIF is safe, effective, and labelled correctly.

Approved SIFs are listed and described in the Canadian Feed Ingredients Table (CFIT), which is incorporated by reference (IBR) into the Feeds Regulations, 2024. Our Incorporation by Reference Policy requires that a consultation be conducted before changes to IBR documents are made. Refer to Documents incorporated by reference under the Feeds Regulations, 2024 for additional information.

About the evaluation

Our Animal Feed Program (AFP) has completed a detailed evaluation of an application for the approval of a new SIF: multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism).

The evaluation considered information related to:

the safety of feeding this SIF to livestock with respect to animal health
the safety of foods derived from livestock that eat this SIF
the safety of workers/bystanders exposed to this SIF
environmental safety
the fit-for-purpose and efficacy of this SIF for the intended livestock species

The results of our evaluation of available scientific data support the safety and efficacy of multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism) for its intended purpose as a source of multiple carbohydrases for use as a component of specialty feeds for livestock species.

Therefore, we recommend that multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism) be approved as a new SIF and added to the CFIT, accordingly.

Proposed SIF description

We intend to add multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism) under subclass 6.18 (Enzymes) of class 6 (Non-nutritive ingredients) in part 2 of the CFIT with the following description:

Multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism) (or multi-carbohydrases produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism))

is a multi-enzyme ingredient that contains 2 or more carbohydrases (for example, xylanase, glucanase, cellulase, amylase) which have enzymatic activities capable of hydrolyzing polysaccharides into oligosaccharides and/or monosaccharides. The ingredient is produced from a fermentation process conducted in accordance with good manufacturing practices. This fermentation shall be conducted using a single non-pathogenic strain of a microorganism, which does not contain a novel trait. The medium in which the microorganism is grown shall not be fortified with levels of substances, such as minerals and vitamins, above those required for optimal growth of the microorganism in the fermentation process. The ingredient shall not contain other extraneous materials except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably during good manufacturing practices. The multi-enzyme carbohydrases ingredient can only be obtained using an approved species of the production organism as listed below.

The approved species of the production organism must be part of the name of the feed; for example, multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by Trichoderma citrinoviride.

The following species is an approved production organism to produce multi-enzyme carbohydrases:

Trichoderma citrinoviride

The fermentation product type (for example, fermentation extract dehydrated) of the enzyme preparation shall be indicated on the label and may follow the enzyme name (for example, multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by Trichoderma citrinoviride fermentation extract dehydrated). The fermentation product type does not need to be part of the name of the feed as long as the information appears on the label. In addition, the types of the carbohydrases may be included on the label (for example, endo 1,4 beta-xylanase, endo 1,4 beta-glucanase and xyloglucan-specific-endo-beta-1,4-glucanase produced by Trichoderma citrinoviride fermentation extract dehydrated).

The enzymatic activity unit definitions and the enzymatic assay conditions for each guaranteed carbohydrase shall also be stated on the label.

It shall be labelled with the following statements:

"This ingredient is approved as a source of multiple carbohydrases for use as a component of specialty feeds for livestock species."

"This ingredient is free of antimicrobial activity and is not a source of viable microbial cells."

To address worker safety concerns, it shall be labelled with the following statement:

"This ingredient may cause eye, skin and respiratory irritation and/or sensitization. Appropriate protective equipment must be worn during handling. / Cet ingrédient peut causer une irritation et/ou une sensibilisation des yeux, de la peau et des voies respiratoires. Un équipement de protection approprié doit être porté lors de la manipulation."

It shall be labelled with guarantees for minimum enzymatic activity of each carbohydrase expressed per gram or kilogram, and maximum percent moisture when the enzyme is presented in a dry form.

An ingredient number will be assigned at the time the SIF is added to the CFIT.

Additional information

This proposed SIF is the first to be identified as a multi-enzyme ingredient, where the purpose is to provide more than 1 enzymatic activity. The proposed multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism) description will serve as a template for future enzyme descriptions that may include different combinations of enzymes (for example, lipases and peptidases, or others containing phytase) obtained from a single source.

SIFs listed and described in the CFIT are classified by purpose. As we have transitioned from Schedules IV and V of the Feeds Regulations, 1983 to the CFIT of the Feeds Regulations, 2024, SIFs that were not classified with a clearly defined purpose or purposes were identified for review. This review process includes verifying SIF descriptions as well as reclassifying the SIFs according to their approved purposes in the CFIT. For these SIFs under review, when appropriate, existing SIFs may be amended or new descriptions proposed. The proposed SIF description for multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism) is part of an on-going project to develop enzyme-specific SIF descriptions for subclass 6.18 (Enzymes) in the CFIT.

In line with our approach, the proposed classification, the naming convention and wording for the multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism) description were developed to ensure consistency with the format applied to the descriptions for phytase produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism) (1-618-001) and xylanase produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism) (1-618-002) that were consulted on in 2025 and added to the updated CFIT version published on the external website on January 15, 2026.

The proposed SIF, multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism), is intended to provide 2 or more distinct carbohydrase activities and is obtained through a microbial fermentation process using a non-pathogenic strain of Trichoderma citrinoviride. Carbohydrases frequently used in feeds include xylanase, cellulase, amylase, galactosidase, and others. These enzymes may be used to improve nutrient availability (enhance digestibility) of complex carbohydrates by breaking them into simpler molecules, such as oligosaccharides and monosaccharides, which result in the carbohydrates being more suitable for use by livestock species.

The description for the multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism) is being proposed to be listed in part 2 of the CFIT because of potential source-specific differences that must be evaluated. These differences between sources could arise from variations in the enzymatic activities to be guaranteed (enzyme type/different enzyme combinations and extent of enzymatic activity). Additionally, to produce sufficient enzyme levels to act as a source of more than 1 enzyme, the production organism may be genetically modified resulting in a novel trait. Feeds with a novel trait are considered novel and require pre-market evaluation and approval prior to be manufactured, sold or imported in Canada. The classification of this SIF in part 2 allows for appropriate regulatory oversight of source‑specific differences that may influence the characterization, efficacy, or safety profile of the SIF. Therefore, this SIF will be placed in part 2 of the CFIT and all sources will need to undergo pre-market evaluation and obtain registration.

The proposed description indicates the production organism used during the fermentation process and includes standardized wording and required labelling statements similar to other enzyme SIFs. This description includes 1 worker safety statement for eye, skin and respiratory irritation and/or sensitization; 2 required labelling statements; and label guarantees that must include minimum guarantees for each enzymatic activity.

Please review the following sections for information regarding how to obtain registration for previously evaluated or new sources of multi-enzyme SIFs, as well as details on transition periods for these SIFs and mixed feeds containing them.

Process for obtaining registration for sources of previously evaluated SIFs with multiple enzymatic activities

If your source (fermentation product non viable) has previously been evaluated and approved by our AFP as a fermentation product non viable (listed under subclass 6.21) and meets 1 or more of the following conditions/situations outlined below, please reach out to our AFP by sending an email to cfia.afp-paa.acia@inspection.gc.ca during the consultation period to notify that your product:

was approved as having a single enzymatic activity but in practice, the SIF supplies more than 1 enzymatic activity, regardless of if those are carbohydrase activities
was approved as having more than 1 enzymatic activity, regardless of if those are carbohydrase activities; or
was approved as having more than 1 carbohydrase activity but the production organism is not Trichoderma citrinoviride

If there are any species of production organisms used for the production of the multi-enzyme carbohydrases ingredient other than Trichoderma citrinoviride, then the addition of that species to the list of production organisms will be consulted on prior to it being added to this SIF description in the CFIT.

We ask that you submit information from approval documents, such as the previous registration number (if any) and approved label, so that we can substantiate the approval. We will then confirm its approval in our records and provide specific instructions on how to obtain registration for your product that provides enzymatic activity of more than 1 enzyme, such as multi-enzyme carbohydrases.

Process for obtaining registration for sources of SIFs with multiple enzymatic activities that have not undergone pre-market evaluation and approval

If the source of your ingredient that provides more than 1 enzymatic activity has not previously undergone pre-market evaluation and has not received approval or registration from our AFP, you must submit a complete pre-market application for registration to obtain registration of your source.

The application must fully address the data requirements outlined in:

If a source of a multi-enzyme ingredient has been approved or authorized as a feed in another jurisdiction, the pathway for consideration of ingredients under the policy Feed approval or registration requirements for the acceptance of a foreign approval/authorization is an option for proponents to have their ingredients evaluated.

Transition period for affected ingredients

A transition period will be granted to allow affected non‑registered multi-enzyme ingredients to continue moving through the marketplace while they obtain registration. In the interim, the SIF name found in subclass 6.21 (Fermentation products non viable) may be used. However, this transition will only apply where the ingredient is already embedded in a currently registered mixed feed. See below for details on the transition for affected mixed feeds.

As a result of the required transition of potentially impacted ingredients, proponents are encouraged to contact us for guidance on preparing their applications and/or applicable data requirements to obtain the registration of ingredients supplying more than 1 enzymatic activity. Once the transition period has ended, any ingredient that guarantees more than 1 enzymatic activity will be required to obtain registration prior to manufacture, sale, or import into Canada.

Impacts on mixed feeds and transition periods

An enzyme SIF on carrier(s) (formerly called enzyme supplements but transitioning to being called enzyme-bearing products) is a mixed feed and considered a specialty feed. Under the Feeds Regulations, 2024, specialty feeds require registration unless they are exempt because they are using an approved claim that is listed in Table 3 (Specialty feeds claims) of the Tables of Permissible Claims for Feed Labels and the specialty feed meets the conditions for the feed and the label for that approved claim. Currently, there is no carbohydrase-related claim found in Table 3 of the Tables of Permissible Claims for Feed Labels.

To facilitate the transition and updating of affected registered mixed feeds containing a multi-enzyme ingredient, we are providing registrants a transition period to implement the required actions. At time of renewal, registrants will be asked to identify what enzyme(s) each ingredient in the formulation provides and indicate if any ingredient is a source of more than 1 enzyme. If an embedded ingredient is a source of more than 1 enzyme, regardless of the combination of enzymes provided, then that ingredient will require pre-market evaluation and registration. Please note, these efforts will also support the CFIT review project for the generation of ingredients that are a source of single enzymes.

For new applications of enzyme-bearing products (formerly enzyme supplements), any ingredient providing more than 1 enzyme activity in the formulation will require approval or registration prior to the mixed feed obtaining registration.

Who is 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

We are seeking feedback on the proposed description for multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism).

Stakeholders are encouraged to share comments if there are:

concerns about the accuracy of the SIF description
any scientific data that should be considered before the SIF is approved

Our evaluators will review scientific questions or information for consideration in the evaluation. They will also evaluate non-scientific input and explore appropriate ways of addressing it.

Comments can be sent by email to the AFP at cfia.afp-paa.acia@inspection.gc.ca. Please use "multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism)" in the subject line of the email. We are asking for comments and feedback by July 13, 2026, 45 days from the date of this posting.

Next steps

We will review all the comments received. If no significant scientifically valid concerns are raised, we will finalize the approval of multi-enzyme carbohydrases produced by _______________ (name of approved species of production organism) and issue the approval to the applicant.

If significant concerns are raised, we will evaluate the additional information.

This SIF will be added to the CFIT at the next update.

Related information

Contact us

Animal Feed Program (AFP)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Email: cfia.afp-paa.acia@inspection.gc.ca