Food additives
Food additives sold by themselves or as ingredients in food products must follow strict EU rules. Additives come in a number of classes, including:
- sweeteners
- preservatives
- antioxidants
- colours
In an ingredient list, most food additives and food enzymes must be preceded by the name of the category to which they belong (examples: antioxidant, emulsifier, preservative).
List of all additives – annex 2 part B of the EU regulation on food additives
Classes of food additives - annex 1 of the EU regulation on food additives
Labelling requirements
Labelling rules differ depending on whether the additives are intended for consumer products or not. Explore the interactive content below to see what rules you must comply with.
Labelling rules depending on the intended market
If your business sells food products to consumers, you must comply with the general food labelling rules. Products that contain additives must display:
- official name and/or E-number of the additive – annex 2 part E of the EU regulation on food additives
- statement ‘for food' or ‘restricted use in food' or a more specific reference to its intended food use
They must also display any of the following statements that apply.
|
Product contains |
Required statement |
|
packaging gases |
‘packaged in a protective atmosphere' |
|
sweeteners or both sugars and sweeteners |
‘with sweetener(s)' or ‘with sugar(s) and ‘sweeteners' |
|
more than 10% polyols |
‘excessive consumption may induce laxative effects' |
|
aspartame/aspartame-acesulfame salts |
‘contains aspartame (a source of phenylalanine)' or ‘contains a source of phenylalanine' |
|
food colours |
‘may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children' |
If your business sells food additives alone or in mixed batches, you must comply with the rules in article 22 of the regulation. The labelling must contain:
- official name and/or E-number of the additive
- statement ‘for food' or ‘restricted use in food' or a more‑specific reference to its intended food use
- if relevant, an indication of special conditions of storage and/or use
- mark identifying the batch or lot
- instructions for use, if necessary
- name and address of the manufacturer, packager, or seller
- clear information about intake limits
- net quantity
- information on minimum durability or ‘use by' date
- list of all ingredients in descending order of their percentage by weight, if the product contains a mix of additives and/or other substances
- warning ‘may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children', if the product contains food colours
Wholesale businesses can provide the information above in the documents with or prior to delivery. This is allowed only if the indication ‘not for retail sale' is displayed clearly on the packaging of the product.