Health Canada Approves Grape Seed Extract as a Permitted Supplemental Ingredient

On January 16, 2025, Health Canada amended its List of Permitted Supplemental Ingredients to include grape seed extract standardized for oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) as a supplemental ingredient in supplemented foods. This decision follows a comprehensive safety assessment by the Food and Nutrition Directorate, which concluded that standardized grape seed extract is safe for consumption by healthy adults when the daily intake of OPCs does not exceed 100 mg. The assessment considered various factors, including chemistry, nutrition, toxicology, and allergenicity. The amendment specifies that the grape seed extract must be derived from Vitis vinifera L. seeds and standardized to contain between 70% and 90% OPCs. Additionally, the amount of OPCs per serving must be declared on the product label under the "Supplemented with" heading in the Supplemented Food Facts table. This regulatory change aims to provide consumers with safe access to products containing grape seed extract while ensuring informed choices through clear labeling. citeturn0search0