The Preservatives in Food Regulations 1989

Sale, etc. of food containing preservative

4.—(1) Save as hereinafter provided, no food sold or imported into England and Wales shall have in it or on it any added preservative.

(2) Any specified food may have in it or on it permitted preservative of the description and in the proportion specified in relation thereto in columns 2 and 3 respectively of Schedule 2.

(3) Any specified food in relation to which two or more permitted preservatives are specified in Schedule 2 may have in it or on it an admixture of those preservatives as follows:–

(a) in the case of fruit spread, sambal oelek, concentrated snack meals with a moisture content of not less than 15% and not more than 60%, soup concentrates with a moisture content of not less than 25% and not more than 60% or wine, (including alcoholic cordials) other than Community controlled wine, to the maximum quantity of each such preservative appropriate thereto in accordance with that Schedule;

(b) in the case of beer, fruit or plants (including flowers and seeds), crystallised, glacé or drained (syruped), or candied peel or cut and drained (syruped) peel, or grape juice products (unfermented, intended for sacramental use), if the permitted preservative sulphur dioxide is present, to the maximum quantity of that preservative appropriate to that food in accordance with that Schedule and as regards any other such permitted preservative present, only if, when the quantity of each such preservative is expressed as a percentage of the maximum quantity appropriate to that food in accordance with that Schedule, the sum of those percentages does not exceed one hundred;

(c) in the case of preparations of saccharin, sodium saccharin, or calcium saccharin and water only, if the permitted preservative benzoic acid is present, to the maximum quantity of that preservative appropriate to that food in accordance with that Schedule and as regards any other such permitted preservative present, only if, when the quantity of each such preservative is expressed as a percentage of the maximum quantity appropriate to that food in accordance with that Schedule, the sum of those percentages does not exceed one hundred;

(d) in the case of marinated herring whose pH exceeds 4.5, or marinated mackerel whose pH exceeds 4.5, if the permitted preservative hexamine is present, to the maximum quantity of that preservative appropriate to that food in accordance with that Schedule and as regards any other such permitted preservative present, only if, when the quantity of each such preservative is expressed as a percentage of the maximum quantity appropriate to that food in accordance with that Schedule, the sum of those percentages does not exceed one hundred;

(e) in the case of cheese (other than Cheddar, Cheshire, Grana-padano or Provolone type cheeses or soft cheese) or cured meat (including cured meat products), in accordance with the appropriate provisions of that Schedule;

(f) in the case of prawns and shrimps in brine,–

(i) if the permitted preservative sulphur dioxide is present, to the maximum quantity of that preservative appropriate to that food in accordance with that Schedule;

(ii) if the permitted preservative sorbic acid or benzoic acid is present, to the maximum quantity of that preservative appropriate to that food in accordance with that Schedule;

(iii) if the permitted preservatives sorbic acid and benzoic acid are present, only if, when the quantity of each such preservative is expressed as a percentage of the maximum quantity appropriate to that food in accordance with that Schedule, the sum of those percentages does not exceed one hundred; and

(iv) as regards any other such permitted preservative present, only if, when the quantity of each such preservative is expressed as a percentage of the maximum quantity appropriate to that food in accordance with that Schedule, the sum of those percentages does not exceed one hundred;

(g) in any other case, only if, when the quantity of each such preservative present in that food is expressed as a percentage of the maximum quantity of that preservative appropriate to that food in accordance with that Schedule, the sum of those percentages does not exceed one hundred.

(4) Any specified food and any food intended for use in the preparation of a specified food (but excluding any pre-packed food, any specified sugar product or any fruit juice or concentrated fruit juice specified at item 1 or 2 in column 1 of Schedule 3 to the Fruit Juices and Fruit Nectars Regulations 1977) may, on importation into England and Wales or on a sale other than a retail sale have in it or on it permitted preservative of a description appropriate to the specified food in accordance with Schedules 1 and 2 in any proportion if, as the case may be, the seller gives to the importer on or before importation or to the buyer on or before sale a document which complies with the requirements of paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 of Schedule 3.

(5) Any food may have in it or on it any proportion not exceeding five milligrams per kilogram, formaldehyde derived from any wet strength wrapping containing any resin based on formaldehyde or from any plastic food container or utensil manufactured from any resin of which formaldehyde is a condensing component.

(6) The permitted miscellaneous additive dimethylpolysiloxane may contain formaldehyde in any proportion not exceeding one thousand milligrams per kilogram.

(7) Cheese, clotted cream or any canned food may have in it or on it the permitted preservative nisin.

(8) Any food may have in it or on it the permitted preservative nisin introduced in the preparation of that food by the use of any cheese, clotted cream or canned food containing nisin.

(9) Any food may have in it or on it formaldehyde introduced in the preparation of that food by the use of the permitted miscellaneous additive dimethylpolysiloxane if that formaldehyde is present in the food in no greater proportion, in relation to the quantity of dimethylpolysiloxane used, than the proportion specified in relation to dimethylpolysiloxane in paragraph (6) of this regulation.

(10) Flour may contain the permitted preservative sulphur dioxide or sodium metabisulphite as prescribed by the Bread and Flour Regulations 1984.

(11) The Community controlled wine may have in it any of the permitted preservatives sulphur dioxide, potassium bisulphite, potassium metabisulphite, sorbic acid and potassium sorbate or any other preservative to the extent, in each case, authorised by any Community Regulation.

(12) No person shall sell or import into England and Wales any food which does not comply with this regulation.