E number: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
Undid revision 384452898 by 79.159.102.122 (talk) |
→E600–E699 (flavour enhancers): why does this need a citation. It is MSG. |
||
| Line 2,000: | Line 2,000: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[E621]] |
|[[E621]] |
||
|[[Monosodium glutamate]](MSG) |
|[[Monosodium glutamate]](MSG) |
||
|[[flavour enhancer]] |
|[[flavour enhancer]] |
||
|{{n/a}} |
|{{n/a}} |
||
Revision as of 00:44, 15 September 2010
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2009) |
E numbers are number codes for food additives that have been assessed for use within the European Union (the "E" prefix stands for "Europe").[1] They are commonly found on food labels throughout the European Union.[2] Safety assessment and approval are the responsibility of the European Food Safety Authority.[3] The numbering scheme follows that of the International Numbering System (INS) as determined by the Codex Alimentarius committee[4] though only a subset of the INS additives are approved for use in the European Union. E numbers are also encountered on food labelling in other jurisdictions, including the GCC, Australia, New Zealand and Israel. The "E" prefix is omitted in Australia and New Zealand. They are increasingly, though still rarely, found on North American packaging, especially in Canada on imported European products.
In casual language in the UK and Ireland, "E number" is used as a pejorative term for artificial food additives, and products may promote themselves as "free of E numbers" even though most of the natural ingredients contain components that also have an E number such as vitamin C (E300) or lycopene (E160d). Thus because, for example, vitamin C has an E number (actually several E numbers, 300-305, for different chemical forms of the vitamin), it is impossible to live off a diet without any substances that have E numbers. "Free of E numbers" then simply means that pure forms of the substances are not intentionally added, even though identical substances certainly exist naturally in many foods.
Classification by numeric range
| 100–199 Colours |
100–109 | yellows (see the full list) |
|---|---|---|
| 110–119 | orange | |
| 120–129 | reds | |
| 130–139 | blues & violets | |
| 140–149 | greens | |
| 150–159 | browns & blacks | |
| 160–199 | gold and others | |
| 200–299 Preservatives |
200–209 | sorbates |
| 210–219 | benzoates | |
| 220–229 | sulphites | |
| 230–239 | phenols & formates (methanoates) | |
| 240–259 | nitrates | |
| 260–269 | acetates (ethanoates) | |
| 270–279 | lactates | |
| 280–289 | propionates (propanoates) | |
| 290–299 | others | |
| 300–399 Antioxidants & acidity regulators |
300–305 | ascorbates (vitamin C) |
| 306–309 | Tocopherol (vitamin E) | |
| 310–319 | gallates & erythorbates | |
| 320–329 | lactates | |
| 330–339 | citrates & tartrates | |
| 340–349 | phosphates | |
| 350–359 | malates & adipates | |
| 360–369 | succinates & fumarates | |
| 370–399 | others | |
| 400–499 Thickeners, stabilisers & emulsifiers |
400–409 | alginates |
| 410–419 | natural gums | |
| 420–429 | other natural agents | |
| 430–439 | polyoxyethene compounds | |
| 440–449 | natural emulsifiers | |
| 450–459 | phosphates | |
| 460–469 | cellulose compounds | |
| 470–489 | fatty acids & compounds | |
| 490–499 | others | |
| 500–599 pH regulators & anti-caking agents |
500–509 | mineral acids & bases |
| 510–519 | chlorides & sulphates | |
| 520–529 | sulphates & hydroxides | |
| 530–549 | alkali metal compounds | |
| 550–559 | silicates | |
| 570–579 | stearates & gluconates | |
| 580–599 | others | |
| 600–699 Flavour enhancers |
620–629 | glutamates |
| 630–639 | inosinates | |
| 640–649 | others | |
| 700–799 Antibiotics |
700–713 | |
| 900–999 Miscellaneous |
900–909 | waxes |
| 910–919 | synthetic glazes | |
| 920–929 | improving agents | |
| 930–949 | packaging gases | |
| 950–969 | sweeteners | |
| 990–999 | foaming agents | |
| 1100–1599 Additional chemicals |
New chemicals that do not fall into standard classification schemes | |
NB: Not all examples of a class fall into the given numeric range. Moreover, many chemicals, particularly in the E400–499 range, have a variety of purposes.
Full list
Each additional has its status:
- permitted additionals are labeled with N/A;
- forbidden additionals were proven to cause diseases beyond any doubt;
- unpermitted additionals are those for which conclusive test data is not yet available either due to ongoing tests or no testing;
- dangerous additionals may be dangerous for people with chronic diseases.
E100–E199 (colours)
| Code | Name | Purpose | Status |
| E100 | Curcumin, turmeric | food colouring (yellow-orange) | — |
| E101 | Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), formerly called lactoflavin (Vitamin G) | food colouring (yellow-orange) | — |
| E101a | Riboflavin-5'-Phosphate | food colouring (yellow-orange) | — |
| E102 | Tartrazine (FD&C Yellow 5) | food colouring (lemon yellow) | Unpermitted |
| E103 | Chrysoine resorcinol | food colouring (golden) | Forbidden |
| E104 | Quinoline Yellow WS | food colouring (dull or greenish yellow) | Undergoing a voluntary phase-out in the UK. |
| E105 | Fast Yellow AB | food colouring (yellow) | — |
| E106 | Riboflavin-5-Sodium Phosphate | food colouring (yellow) | — |
| E107 | Yellow 2G | food colouring (yellow) | — |
| E110 | Sunset Yellow FCF (Orange Yellow S, FD&C Yellow 6) | food colouring (yellow-orange) | Banned in Finland, Norway & the UK (voluntarily). Products in the EU require warnings and is evaluating a phase-out. |
| E111 | Orange GGN | food colouring (orange) | — |
| E120 | Cochineal, Carminic acid (carmines, Natural Red 4) | food colouring (crimson) | — |
| E121 | Citrus Red 2 | food colouring (dark red) | Forbidden |
| E122 | Carmoisine, Azorubine | food colouring (red to maroon) | Undergoing a voluntary phase-out in the UK, currently banned in Canada, Japan, Norway, USA and Sweden. EU currently evaluating health risks. |
| E123 | Amaranth (FD&C Red 2) | food colouring (dark red) | Forbidden |
| E124 | Ponceau 4R (Cochineal Red A, Brilliant Scarlet 4R) | food colouring (red) | Unpermitted |
| E125 | Ponceau SX, Scarlet GN | food colouring (red) | — |
| E126 | Ponceau 6R | food colouring (red) | — |
| E127 | Erythrosine (FD&C Red 3) | food colouring (red) | Unpermitted |
| E128 | Red 2G | food colouring (red) | Forbidden |
| E129 | Allura Red AC (FD&C Red 40) | food colouring (red) | Banned in Denmark, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Sweden. Undergoing a voluntary phase out in the UK. Permitted in the USA and by the EU (whilst preserving individual country bans). |
| E130 | Indanthrene blue RS | food colouring (blue) | — |
| E131 | Patent Blue V | food colouring (dark blue) | |
| E132 | Indigo carmine (indigotine, FD&C Blue 2) | food colouring (indigo) | |
| E133 | Brilliant Blue FCF (FD&C Blue 1) | food colouring (reddish blue) | — |
| E140 | Chlorophylls and Chlorophyllins: (i) Chlorophylls (ii) Chlorophyllins | food colouring (green) | — |
| E141 | Copper complexes of chlorophylls and chlorophyllins (i) Copper complexes of chlorophylls (ii) Copper complexes of chlorophyllins | food colouring (green) | — |
| E142 | Green S | food colouring (green) | Unpermitted |
| E143 | Fast Green FCF (FD&C Green 3) | food colouring (sea green) | — |
| E150a | Plain caramel | food colouring | — |
| E150b | Caustic sulfite caramel | food colouring | — |
| E150c | Ammonia caramel | food colouring | — |
| E150d | Sulphite ammonia caramel | food colouring | — |
| E151 | Black PN, Brilliant Black BN | food colouring | — |
| E152 | Black 7984 | food colouring | — |
| E153 | Carbon black, Vegetable carbon | food colouring | — |
| E154 | Brown FK (kipper brown) | food colouring | Unpermitted |
| E155 | Brown HT (chocolate brown HT) | food colouring | — |
| E160a | Alpha-carotene, Beta-carotene, Gamma-carotene | food colouring | — |
| E160b | Annatto, bixin, norbixin | food colouring | |
| E160c | Paprika oleoresin, Capsanthin, capsorubin | food colouring | — |
| E160d | Lycopene | food colouring | — |
| E160e | Beta-apo-8'-carotenal (C 30) | food colouring | — |
| E160f | Ethyl ester of beta-apo-8'-carotenic acid (C 30) | food colouring | — |
| E161a | Flavoxanthin | food colouring | — |
| E161b | Lutein | food colouring | — |
| E161c | Cryptoxanthin | food colouring | — |
| E161d | Rubixanthin | food colouring | — |
| E161e | Violaxanthin | food colouring | — |
| E161f | Rhodoxanthin | food colouring | — |
| E161g | Canthaxanthin | food colouring | — |
| E161h | Zeaxanthin | food colouring | — |
| E161i | Citranaxanthin | food colouring | — |
| E161j | Astaxanthin | food colouring | — |
| E162 | Beetroot Red, Betanin | food colouring | — |
| E163 | Anthocyanins | food colouring | — |
| E170 | Calcium carbonate, Chalk | food colouring | — |
| E171 | Titanium dioxide | food colouring (pure white) | — |
| E172 | Iron oxides and hydroxides | food colouring | — |
| E173 | Aluminium | food colouring | Unpermitted |
| E174 | Silver | food colouring | — |
| E175 | Gold | food colouring | — |
| E180 | Pigment Rubine, Lithol Rubine BK | food colouring | Unpermitted |
| E181 | Tannin | food colouring | — |
| E182 | Orcein, Orchil | food colouring | — |
E200–E299 (preservatives)
E300–E399 (antioxidants, acidity regulators)
E400–E499 (thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers)
E500–E599 (acidity regulators, anti-caking agents)
E600–E699 (flavour enhancers)
E700–E799 (antibiotics)
E900–E999 (miscellaneous)
E1000–E1999 (additional chemicals)
Notes
- ^ UK Food Standards Agency
- ^ European Directive 95/2/EC on food additives other than colours and sweeteners
- ^ Food Additives and Ingredients Association, no date, Frequently Asked Questions, accessed 6 March 2010
- ^ Codex Alimentarius. "Noms de Categorie et Systeme International de Numerotation des Additifs Alimentaires" (PDF). Retrieved 2 April 2009.
- ^ New Zealand Food Safety Authority. "Identifying Food Additives" (PDF). Retrieved 16 January 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help)
See also
External links
- Codex Alimentarius
- E-codes and ingredients search engine with details/suggestions for Muslims
- Current EU approved additives and their E Numbers
- Food Additives in the European Union
- Halal Status for E-Numbers
