What is the scope and labeling of food additives?

The Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China and the National Food Safety Standards Standard for the Use of Food Additives (GB2760-2014) have made clear the specific definition of food additives, and what substances are included in food additives, and specifically if they should be labeled? Food partner network on the scope of food additives and specific labeling requirements have been sorted out and integrated for your reference.
Definition of Food Additives
The Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China stipulates that food additives refer to synthetic or natural substances, including nutritional enhancers, that are added to food to improve food quality and color, aroma and taste, as well as for the purpose of preservation of antiseptic, preservation of freshness and the needs of processing technology.
The National Standard for Food Safety Standard for the Use of Food Additives (GB2760-2014) stipulates that food additives refer to synthetic or natural substances that are added to food in order to improve food quality and color, aroma and taste, as well as for the purpose of preservation of antisepsis, preservation of freshness and the needs of processing technology. Flavors for food, base agent substances in gel-based confectionery, and processing aids for the food industry are also included. Scope of food additives and related standards
Combined with the definitions of food additives in the Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China and the National Standard for Food Safety, Standard for the Use of Food Additives (GB2760-2014), food additives can be categorized into food additives in the traditional sense, food nutrient fortification, food flavors, food fragrances, food industry processing aids (including enzyme preparation), and the base agent substance of gelatin-based confectionery.

Labeling requirements of food additives
1. Food additives in the traditional sense (1) The basic requirement of labeling should be labeled with the common name of food additives in GB 2760. The common name of food additives can be labeled as the specific name of the food additive, or the name of the functional class of the food additive and the specific name of the food additive or the international code (INS number). If GB 2760 specifies two or more names for a food additive, each name is an equivalent name and one of them should be used when labeling. On the label of the same prepackaged food, the same form of the above labeling methods should be chosen to label the food additive.
(2) Labeling precautions a, the ingredient list can not be labeled only additive functions such as “coloring agent”, “thickening agent”, etc.; if labeled as the name of the functional category of food additives, in accordance with the function of the GB 2760 regulations labeling, the carmine orange can not be labeled as “coloring agent”, “coloring agent (carmine orange)”, etc. in the example. Can be labeled as “pigment (carmine orange)”.
b. Nutritional enhancers, edible flavors and fragrances, and base agent substances in gum-based candies can be labeled outside the food additives in the ingredient list.
(3) Compound food additives should be labeled one by one in the food ingredient list for each food additive that has a functional role in the final product. But note that after the merger of the “compound sweeteners” should be combined by the total amount of other ingredients together with the descending order.
2, nutrient fortification (1) the basic requirements of labeling should be marked “food fortification standard” (GB 14880) or approved the name of the announcement. Can be labeled compound name, nutrient name, nutrient name and compound name.
(Figure 4) If a food is fortified with vitamin E, what is used is d-alpha-tocopherol in the source of compounds in Figure 4. It may be labeled in the ingredient list as “vitamin E”, “d-alpha-tocopherol”, “vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol)”, or “d -alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E)”.
On the label of the same prepackaged food, the same form of the above labeling methods should be chosen to label the nutrient fortifier.
(2) Labeling Precautions a. Ingredients that can be used as both food additives and food fortifiers shall be labeled according to the role they play in the final product.
3、Processing aids for food industry (1) The basic requirements for labeling do not need to be labeled.
(2) Precautions a. Processing aids should generally be removed before the final product is made, and if they cannot be completely removed, their residues should be minimized, and their residues should not be hazardous to health and should not play a functional role in the final food product. When calcium chloride is used as a processing aid, it should not function as a stabilizer and coagulant or thickener in the final food; if it functions as the above in the final food, it is necessary to confirm whether calcium chloride can be used in this category of food, whether the amount of additive meets the requirements, and to label calcium chloride in the ingredient list.
(3) The labeling requirements of enzyme preparation need not be labeled if the enzyme activity has been lost in the final product; if the enzyme activity is still maintained in the final product, the enzyme preparation should be arranged in the corresponding position of the ingredient list in accordance with the relevant provisions of the food ingredient list labeling according to the added amount of the enzyme preparation in the manufacture or processing of the food; for example, the enzyme preparation used in the process of liquefaction and saccharification of the production of brewing vinegar has lost its enzyme activity in the finished product of the brewing vinegar and needs not to be labeled. Vigor, do not need to label.
4、Food flavors and fragrances (1) The basic requirements of labeling can be marked as “edible flavor”, “edible spices”, “edible flavors and fragrances”, etc., and can also be marked in the ingredient list. The common names of flavors and fragrances can also be indicated in the ingredient list.
(2) Labeling precautions a. Food spices with other food additive functions should comply with the regulations on the use of food additives when they are used in food to perform other food additive functions. If benzoic acid is only used as edible flavor and does not function as a preservative, it can be labeled in accordance with the requirements of flavors and fragrances; if it functions as a preservative in food, it should comply with the regulations on the use of food additives and be labeled as “benzoic acid”, “Preservative (benzoic acid) ”, “Preservative (210)” and so on.
5、Gum-based confectionery base agent substances according to the requirements of GB 7718, can be labeled as “gum sugar base agent” or “gum base”.
Summary
Correct use and labeling of food additives is the most basic requirements for food manufacturers, but also food manufacturers of food quality and safety commitments. Food manufacturers should use and label food additives correctly in strict accordance with the corresponding regulations and standards, and provide consumers with true product information and consumer guidance.