On December 19, 2018, the Canadian Ministry of Health proposed that cyanide in almonds be included in the list of contaminants and other adulterants in food.
It is understood that the Canadian Ministry of Health on the existing edible advice of bitter almonds for adults is to eat no more than three per day, children are not recommended to eat. However, most consumers do not know or do not follow this recommendation, so Canada has taken further risk management actions to address the potential health risks of acute cyanide poisoning caused by eating raw almonds.
Some of the original reports are as follows:
Food contaminants and other adulterating substances are chemicals that may be present in foods at levels that could impact the overall safety and/or quality of foods. These substances can either be inadvertently or naturally present in foods or in some cases intentionally added for fraudulent purposes. Establishing a prohibition or a maximum level （ML） are forms of risk management that may be employed to eliminate or reduce exposure to a particular chemical contaminant in foods. Canadian prohibitions and MLs for chemical contaminants in food are set out in Part 1 and Part 2, respectively, of the List of Contaminants and Other Adulterating Substances in Foods, which is incorporated by reference into section B.15.001 of Division 15 of the Food and Drug Regulations （the Regulations）。 Maximum levels are also set out in the List of Maximum Levels for Various Chemical Contaminants in Foods, which is maintained on Health Canada's website. All prohibitions and MLs for contaminants in food are established by Health Canada's Food Directorate based on scientific evidence and in consultation with stakeholders and are enforceable by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
