‘Food Additive’ means any substance not normally consumed as a food in itself or as a characteristic ingredient, that is intentionally added for a technological purpose to the food and that may then result in by-products becoming part of that food.
Most additives are only permitted to be used in certain foods and are subject to specific quantitative limits. Controls of additives have been repeatedly ‘harmonised’ to try to simplify the legislation in this area. A new raft of European legislation has recently come into force to try to simplify this further.
The most recent regulations enter into force on various dates from 20 January 2009 until 20 January 2011:
- Common Authorisation Procedure: Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008 establishing a common authorisation procedure for food additives, food enzymes and food flavourings (in force 20 Jan 2009)
- Enzymes: Regulation (EC) No 1332/2008 on food enzymes (in force 20 Jan 2010)
- Additives: Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives (various provisions apply 20 Jan 2009-20 July 2010)
- Flavourings: Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 on flavourings and certain food ingredients with flavouring properties for use in and on foods (applies from 20 Jan 2011 - Foods lawfully placed on the market or labelled prior to 20 January 2011 which do not comply with this Regulation may be marketed until their date of minimum durability or use-by-date.)
Some additives are restricted to a very limited number of foods whereas others may be permitted at the level necessary to achieve the desired technical effect ("quantum satis") with no numerical limit stated. The Directives or the implementing legislation in the Member States should be consulted for actual details.
The UK Food Standards’ Agency publishes a listing of E numbers split into major additive categories (colours, preservatives, etc). This can be found here.
The numbering system is being adapted for international use by the Codex Alimentarius Commission who are developing an International Numbering System (INS). This largely uses the same numbers (but without the E). A recent list of INS numbers is unfortunately at time of publication not available.
