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Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on food additives (Text with EEA relevance)
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Food additives [F1authorised for primary use] shall not be used in unprocessed foods, except where such use is specifically provided for in [F2the authorisations concerned].
Textual Amendments
F1Words in Art. 15 inserted (E.W.S.) (1.4.2025) by The Food and Feed (Regulated Products) (Amendment, Revocation, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/361), regs. 1(2), 8(17)(a) (with reg. 23)
F2Words in Art. 15 substituted (E.W.S.) (1.4.2025) by The Food and Feed (Regulated Products) (Amendment, Revocation, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/361), regs. 1(2), 8(17)(b) (with reg. 23)
Food additives [F3authorised for primary use] shall not be used in foods for infants and young children as referred to in Directive 89/398/EEC, including dietary foods for infants and young children for special medical purposes, except where specifically provided for in [F4the authorisations concerned].
Textual Amendments
F3Words in Art. 16 inserted (E.W.S.) (1.4.2025) by The Food and Feed (Regulated Products) (Amendment, Revocation, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/361), regs. 1(2), 8(18)(a) (with reg. 23)
F4Words in Art. 16 substituted (E.W.S.) (1.4.2025) by The Food and Feed (Regulated Products) (Amendment, Revocation, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/361), regs. 1(2), 8(18)(b) (with reg. 23)
Only food colours [F5that are authorised for primary use may be used, as provided for in the authorisations concerned,] for the purpose of health marking as provided for in Council Directive 91/497/EEC of 29 July 1991 amending and consolidating Directive 64/433/EEC on health problems affecting intra-Community trade in fresh meat to extend it to the production and marketing of fresh meat(1) and other markings required on meat products, for the decorative colouring of eggshells and for the stamping of eggshells as provided for in Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin(2).
Textual Amendments
F5Words in Art. 17 substituted (E.W.S.) (1.4.2025) by The Food and Feed (Regulated Products) (Amendment, Revocation, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/361), regs. 1(2), 8(19) (with reg. 23)
1.The presence of a food additive shall be permitted:
(a)in a compound food other than as referred to in [F6an authorisation for primary use for the food additive concerned], where the food additive is permitted in one of the ingredients of the compound food;
(b)in a food to which a food additive, food enzyme [F7, food flavouring or nutrient] has been added, where the food additive:
(c)in a food which is to be used solely in the preparation of a compound food and provided that the compound food complies with this Regulation.
2.Paragraph 1 shall not apply to infant formulae, follow-on formulae, processed cereal-based foods and baby foods and dietary foods for special medical purposes intended for infants and young children as referred to in Directive 89/398/EEC, except where specifically provided for.
3.Where a food additive in a food flavouring, food additive [F8, food enzyme or nutrient] is added to a food and has a technological function in that food, it shall be considered a food additive of that food and not a food additive of the added flavouring, food additive [F8, food enzyme or nutrient], and must then comply with the conditions of use for that food as provided for.
4.Without prejudice to paragraph 1, the presence of a food additive used as a sweetener shall be permitted in a compound food with no added sugars, in an energy-reduced compound food, in compound dietary foods intended for low-calorie diets, in non-cariogenic compound foods, and in a compound food with an increased shelf-life, provided that the sweetener is permitted in one of the ingredients of the compound food.
[F95.Paragraph 1(a) does not apply to foods listed in Table 1, as regards food additives in general, or in Table 2, as regards food colours, in Annex Ia.]
Textual Amendments
F6Words in Art. 18(1)(a) substituted (E.W.S.) (1.4.2025) by The Food and Feed (Regulated Products) (Amendment, Revocation, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/361), regs. 1(2), 8(20)(a) (with reg. 23)
F7Words in Art. 18(1)(b) substituted (E.W.S.) (1.4.2025) by The Food and Feed (Regulated Products) (Amendment, Revocation, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/361), regs. 1(2), 8(20)(b) (with reg. 23)
F8Words in Art. 18(3) substituted (E.W.S.) (1.4.2025) by The Food and Feed (Regulated Products) (Amendment, Revocation, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/361), regs. 1(2), 8(20)(c) (with reg. 23)
F9Art. 18(5) inserted (E.W.S.) (1.4.2025) by The Food and Feed (Regulated Products) (Amendment, Revocation, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/361), regs. 1(2), 8(20)(d) (with reg. 23)
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Textual Amendments
F10 Art. 19 omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Food Additives, Flavourings, Enzymes and Extraction Solvents (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/860), regs. 1, 97; 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
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Textual Amendments
F11 Art. 20 omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Food Additives, Flavourings, Enzymes and Extraction Solvents (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/860), regs. 1, 98; 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 55. Corrected by OJ L 226, 25.6.2004, p. 22.
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