The Canaryseed Development Commission of Saskatchewan was formed in 2006 with the purpose of getting the birdseed crop approved as a human food.
The organization is now almost ready to make its submissions to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
It expects to hand over its massive safety assessment dossier to the federal government by the end of 2011 in hopes of gaining regulatory approval for human food use in 2012.
Executive director Kevin Hursh said the process has been surprisingly long, arduous and expensive.
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“I think we’re getting close to $1.5 million to get to this point,” he said.
The information package will be sent electronically. Otherwise, it would be a large stack of paper.
The package includes basic chemical analyses of the protein, carbohydrate and oil composition of glabrous canaryseed as well as in-depth testing for potential allergens and toxic alkaloids.
A final report on sub-chronic toxicity testing is expected by June.
Remaining tasks include poultry trials, because the industry is also seeking novel feed approval, and confirming with the Pest Management Regulatory Agency that registered pesticides can still be used on canaryseed once the crop is approved for human consumption.
Hursh said he has gained new appreciation for the regulatory scrutiny that seed technology companies face when they seek approval for genetically modified crops.
“I can only imagine what they have to go through,” he said.
The bright spot is that the commission is now 98 percent certain canaryseed is gluten-free, which means there could be a niche market for the product by people suffering from celiac disease.
“We’re hoping that gives it a place in the market, but we’re not under any illusions that this is going to suddenly explode into some huge new crop use.”
Two food companies have expressed interest in the gluten-free attributes of canaryseed.
Hursh said the crop needs something to set it apart because at 25 cents a bushel, it is more expensive than competing cereal grains.
The commission will seek Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration once the crop receives Canadian regulatory approval.
The commission conducted the Canadian safety assessment trials in such a way that it wouldn’t need to do additional work to comply with the GRAS requirements.
