Novel Food Information - CoffeeBerry® whole fruit derivatives

In 2013, Health Canada’s Food Directorate received a submission to allow the sale of Coffeeberry® whole fruit derivatives in Canada as ingredients in beverages and other foods such as soups, snack chips, candies and pastries at a maximum intended level of 300 mg per serving.

Coffeeberry® whole fruit derivatives are made from the fruit (also called the cherry) of the coffee plant, Coffea arabica L. In conventional coffee production, coffee processors strip off and discard the fruit, keeping just the two central seeds (coffee “beans”) for further processing. Unlike conventional coffee production, Coffeeberry® whole fruit derivatives are manufactured from the entire fruit, including the seeds. Once harvested, the whole fruit is washed, dried, and ground to the desired particle size to produce Coffeeberry® whole fruit powders or granules. In addition, some of the ground coffee fruit material is further processed by extraction with a mixture of alcohol and water and then freeze-dried and ground, in order to concentrate and/or purify certain fruit components, such as polyphenols. Both Coffeeberry® whole fruit powders or granules and Coffeeberry® fruit extract products will be sold to food manufacturers to be incorporated as ingredients into their beverages and food products; they are not intended to be sold directly to consumers.

Health Canada conducted an assessment of Coffeeberry® whole fruit derivatives according to its Guidelines for the Safety Assessment of Novel Foods. In order to determine whether Coffeeberry® whole fruit derivatives could be sold in Canada as food ingredients, scientists at Health Canada with expertise in microbiology, toxicology, chemistry and nutrition conducted a scientific assessment to ensure that the products are safe for consumption. The assessment considered how the products were developed, their composition, whether they could be toxic or cause allergic reactions, and their dietary exposure in the Canadian population. Based on this assessment, it was determined that Coffeeberry® whole fruit derivatives are safe for the general population within the proposed conditions of use. At the maximum intended level of 300 mg per serving, Coffeeberry® whole fruit powders and Coffeeberry® fruit extract typically deliver 15 mg and 120 mg of total chlorogenic acids (a type of polyphenol), respectively. Chlorogenic acids are common constituents of other foods in our diet, and the levels delivered by the maximum intended level of Coffeeberry® whole fruit derivatives are similar to what it is found in a cup of brewed coffee or in other foods naturally rich in chlorogenic acids like blueberries, cherries and plums.

Since Coffeeberry® whole fruit products are derived from the whole coffee fruit, they naturally contain caffeine, at levels of 1% to 2%. It was estimated that the addition of Coffeeberry® whole fruit derivatives to beverages or other foods as proposed will result in a level of caffeine similar to a serving of chocolate milk, which will have a negligible impact on the caffeine intake of Canadians.

Related Information

• Technical Summary