Mustard allergy and canola protein

If you have mustard allergy, you may have an allergic reaction if you eat foods containing added canola protein.

On this page

• Background
• Canadian labelling requirements
• What we're doing
• Contact information

Background

Health Canada received novel food notifications for 3 canola protein isolate ingredients that are made from the seed meal that is left over after oil has been extracted from canola seeds. Canola protein ingredients are new food ingredients in Canada that are intended for use as alternative protein sources.

You can find information about the canola protein isolate ingredients and Health Canada's safety assessment of them here:

• Novel food information: Napin-rich canola protein isolate
• Novel food information: Canola protein isolate and cruciferin-rich canola protein isolate

Health Canada didn't identify any food safety concerns with these canola protein isolates for the general population. However, they contain proteins that are very similar to mustard allergen proteins. If you have mustard allergy, you:

• might have an allergic reaction to a food with added canola protein
• should avoid foods with added canola protein

For information about canola oil or rapeseed oil and mustard allergy, please see "Do I need to avoid canola if I have a mustard allergy" and "Do I need to avoid rapeseed oil if I have a mustard allergy" in Mustard: A priority food allergen.

Canadian labelling requirements

Health Canada expects food manufacturers to label all foods that contain a canola protein ingredient, but do not contain mustard, with a cautionary statement indicating canola protein may not be suitable for individuals with mustard allergy. This allows people with mustard allergy to make an informed food choice.

Canola protein isolate can be derived from several different species including:

• Brassica juncea, which is a type of mustard
• Brassica rapa or Brassica napa, which are types of rapeseed

If the canola protein ingredient is made from canola-quality mustard, the food must be labelled according to enhanced allergen labelling requirements because mustard seeds is a priority allergen.

If the canola protein ingredient is made from a rapeseed species of canola, the food must be labelled according to usual labelling requirements for food ingredients.

If you or your family member has a mustard allergy:

• read food labels carefully
• speak to your allergist about canola protein
• be aware of the risk of eating food that contains canola protein

If you aren't sure if a pre-packaged food contains canola protein, contact the company named on the label.

What we're doing

Health Canada sets food allergen labelling requirements for foods sold in Canada. We work with food allergy stakeholders to inform and educate people with food allergies. These stakeholders include:

• food manufacturers
• the medical community
• food allergy consumer associations

Contact information

For more information about canola protein and mustard allergy, please contact Health Canada's Bureau of Chemical Safety at bcs-bipc@hc-sc.gc.ca and add the words "canola protein" to the subject line of your e-mail.