Food colours in selected foods - April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023

Targeted surveys are used by the CFIA to focus its surveillance activities on areas of highest health risk. The information gained from these surveys provides support for the allocation and prioritization of the agency's activities to areas of greater concern. Originally started as a project under the Food Safety Action Plan (FSAP), targeted surveys have been embedded in our regular surveillance activities since 2013. Targeted surveys are a valuable tool for generating information on certain hazards in foods, identifying and characterizing new and emerging hazards, informing trend analysis, prompting and refining health risk assessments, highlighting potential contamination issues, as well as assessing and promoting compliance with Canadian regulations.

Food safety is a shared responsibility. We work with federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments and provide regulatory oversight of the food industry to promote safe handling of foods throughout the food production chain. The food industry and retail sectors in Canada are responsible for the food they produce and sell, while individual consumers are responsible for the safe handling of the food they have in their possession.

Food colours, both naturally-sourced and synthetically manufactured, are widely used by the food industry. They are incorporated into processed foods for a variety of reasons including: to compensate for the natural colour(s) lost during processing; to achieve a uniform product colour; and to make the food appear more appealing and appetizing.

In Canada, food colours are considered food additives and are regulated under Marketing Authorizations issued by the Minister of Health. Health Canada conducts detailed, rigorous, safety-focused pre-market evaluations of food additives prior to allowing their use in foods and setting the maximum allowable levels of use of those colours^{Footnote 5}, ^{Footnote 6}. It should be noted that coloured impurities other than the main colour (called subsidiary colours) are not regulated within food products, but are regulated as part of the food colour raw material source. In Canada, 10 synthetic colours have been approved for use in food, and are listed in the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR)^{Footnote 6} and summarized in Appendix A. The presence of 1 or more approved colours in food is not unexpected. In 2018, Health Canada amended the food colour labelling requirements that require colouring agents to be identified on labels by their common name in order to make more information available to consumers when making food selections^{Footnote 7}.

The presence of non-permitted food colours, particularly industrial dyes, may pose a health risk to the consumer, as some are potentially damaging to DNA and carcinogenic^{Footnote 1}, ^{Footnote 2}. Undeclared use of permitted synthetic colouring agents may also be a potential concern to a small percentage of the population which has exhibited sensitivity to synthetic colouring agents, resulting in skin rashes and triggering asthmatic reactions in individuals with asthma^{Footnote 3}, ^{Footnote 4}. Furthermore, several studies have suggested a correlation between consumption of certain synthetic food colours and hyperactive behaviour in children, although this relationship has not been conclusively proven^{Footnote 8}, ^{Footnote 9}. Despite the lack of a clear link, anecdotal information suggests that certain consumers are cautious about the use of synthetic food colour additives, primarily for health and safety reasons. With trends toward healthier lifestyles, the food industry is noting that consumers are demanding fewer artificial or synthetic ingredients in foods^{Footnote 10}. Targeted surveys focussed on food colours have been carried out previously. The primary focus of this survey was examination of brightly coloured products potentially containing added colours.

A variety of domestic and imported frozen desserts (dairy and non-dairy), spices (curry, cumin, masala, etc.), sweets (soft and hard candy, fruit leathers and snacks) and vegetable products (pickled beets, cucumbers, onions, peppers, etc.) were sampled between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023. Samples of products were collected from local/regional retail locations located in 6 major cities across Canada. These cities encompassed 4 Canadian geographical areas:

• Atlantic (Halifax)
• Quebec (Montreal)
• Ontario (Toronto and Ottawa)
• West (Vancouver and Calgary)

The number of samples collected from these cities was in proportion to the relative population of the respective areas.

Samples were analyzed by an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited food testing laboratory under contract with the Government of Canada. Based on the nature of the food product, samples were analyzed for water-soluble, oil-dispersible colours, or both. See Appendix A for a list of the colours analyzed. The results represent finished food products as sold and not as they would be consumed, whether the product sampled is considered an ingredient or requires preparation prior to consumption.

The results obtained from the analysis of the products were assessed against the regulations on permitted colouring agents established by Health Canada^{Footnote 11}.

Of the 190 food samples tested, food colours were detected in 58 (31%) samples. Most of these samples (83%) contained between 1 and 3 colours, and up to 5 colours were detected in the rest of the positive samples for a total of 124 positive results. Table 2 summarizes the food colours detected and their prevalence in each product type. Sweets had the highest percentage of samples containing added food colours at 66%. The highest average levels of food colours were associated with sweets, followed by frozen desserts.

Overall, 6 samples of imported spice products were non-compliant with Canadian food regulations. Non-permitted food colours were detected in 3 of these samples, and 3 samples were missing a declaration of food colours on the label. None of the products tested this survey year contained food colours at levels exceeding the maximum level of use.

As shown in Table 3, the most commonly detected food colours in the survey were Allura Red, Tartrazine and Brilliant Blue FCF. These accounted for 77% of positive results and were the most commonly detected colours in all survey years.

The main objectives of this targeted survey were to expand upon baseline data regarding the levels of permitted food colours in selected foods on the Canadian retail market. Out of a total of 190 samples tested, 184 (96.8%) samples were in compliance with Canadian standards and limits. Table 4 compares this survey results with five years of past survey data for food colours.

Despite some disparity in products sampled across the surveys years, the compliance rate was similar to previous survey years^{Footnote 12}, ^{Footnote 13}, ^{Footnote 14}, ^{Footnote 15}, ^{Footnote 16}. In general, the same types of non-compliant results found in the current survey were found in previous surveys in similar product types. The detection rates are in close agreement with the results of previous surveys when compared with similar commodities. It should be re-iterated that samples were selected due to their high likelihood of containing food colouring agents, and that prevalence in the food categories selected are not necessarily representative of the prevalence of synthetic food colours in all foodstuffs available at retail.

The levels of food colours observed in this survey were evaluated by Health Canada's Bureau of Chemical Safety who determined that none of the samples tested would pose an unacceptable human health concern. The extent of the follow up actions taken by the agency was based on the level of the contamination and the resulting health concern.