Whole Algal Flour to be used as a partial replacement for cream, milk, eggs/egg yolks and butter/shortening in a variety of foods

In 2014, Health Canada received a submission to allow the sale of Whole Algal Flour to be used as a partial replacement for cream, milk, eggs/egg yolks and butter/shortening in a variety of foods. Whole Algal Flour is a high lipid (40 -70% fat) algal flour consisting of the milled, dried biomass of the microalgae Chlorella protothecoides strain S106. The microalgae are grown by in large industrial fermenters under conditions which enrich the cells with high lipid content. The cells are then pasteurized and dry-milled to produce the final powder product. Whole Algal Flour is expected to replace a portion of the cream, milk, eggs/egg yolks and/or butter/shortening in the Canadian market for various conventional foods which lack a standard of identity.

Scientists with expertise in molecular biology, microbiology, toxicology, chemistry, and nutrition conducted a thorough analysis of the data and the protocols provided by the applicant to ensure the validity of the results. Health Canada's assessment of Whole Algal Flour to be used as a partial replacement for cream, milk, eggs/egg yolks and butter/shortening in a variety of foods was conducted according to the Guidelines for the Safety Assessment of Novel Foods.

Following this assessment, it was determined that the proposed use of Whole Algal flour derived from Chlorella protothecoides strain S106 did not pose a nutritional, microbiological, toxicological or allergenic risk to consumers.

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