CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect the GRAS status of canary seed in the U.S.
Dive Brief:
- Health Canada has approved canary seed for human consumption after a Canadian researcher naturally bred a hairless variety. Canary seed is GRAS in the U.S., according to the FDA.
- Companies could use this new ingredient in nutrition bars or on hamburger buns instead of sesame seeds, and canary seed flour can be used to produce gluten-free bread, cookies, cereals, and pasta. Canary seeds are also high in protein, with levels higher than other cereal grains.
- The agencies have approved both yellow and brown hairless canary seeds, but the only ones commercially available right now are brown seeds. Yellow seeds may take a couple years to grow, but they will more likely be included in recipes for baked goods.
Dive Insight:
"It will take a while for food manufacturers to develop their ingredient lists and figure out uses," Kevin Hursh, executive director of the Canaryseed Development Commission of Saskatchewan, told Bloomberg. "I really believe in time, we’ll have a significant amount going into the food industry."
Gluten-free is a fast-growing industry, with about one-quarter of consumers saying they eat gluten-free foods, a 67% increase over 2013, and gluten-free sales increased 136% in that same time frame, according to a Mintel study last year. Also, about one in 10 food and drink product launches across the globe were for gluten-free products in the year ending April 2015, according to Innova Market Insights. In the U.S., gluten-free products made up 18% of product launches.
More major manufacturers have begun producing gluten-free products or labeling already gluten-free products as such. General Mills recalled 1.8 million boxes of Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios in July because wheat flour had contaminated its gluten-free oat flour system. Cheerios have been labeled "gluten-free" as of last February.