Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

1.

‘sweeteners’ are substances used to impart a sweet taste to foods or in table-top sweeteners;

2.

‘colours’ are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food. Preparations obtained from foods and other edible natural source materials obtained by physical and/or chemical extraction resulting in a selective extraction of the pigments relative to the nutritive or aromatic constituents are colours within the meaning of this Regulation;

3.

‘preservatives’ are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms;

4.

‘antioxidants’ are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity and colour changes;

5.

‘carriers’ are substances used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or a flavouring, food enzyme, nutrient and/or other substance added for nutritional or physiological purposes to a food without altering its function (and without exerting any technological effect themselves) in order to facilitate its handling, application or use;

6.

‘acids’ are substances which increase the acidity of a foodstuff and/or impart a sour taste to it;

7.

‘acidity regulators’ are substances which alter or control the acidity or alkalinity of a foodstuff;

8.

‘anti-caking agents’ are substances which reduce the tendency of individual particles of a foodstuff to adhere to one another;

9.

‘anti-foaming agents’ are substances which prevent or reduce foaming;

10.

‘bulking agents’ are substances which contribute to the volume of a foodstuff without contributing significantly to its available energy value;

11.

‘emulsifiers’ are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff;

12.

‘emulsifying salts’ are substances which convert proteins contained in cheese into a dispersed form and thereby bring about homogenous distribution of fat and other components;

13.

‘firming agents’ are substances which make or keep tissues of fruit or vegetables firm or crisp, or interact with gelling agents to produce or strengthen a gel;

14.

‘flavour enhancers’ are substances which enhance the existing taste and/or odour of a foodstuff;

15.

‘foaming agents’ are substances which make it possible to form a homogenous dispersion of a gaseous phase in a liquid or solid foodstuff;

16.

‘gelling agents’ are substances which give a foodstuff texture through formation of a gel;

17.

‘glazing agents’ (including lubricants) are substances which, when applied to the external surface of a foodstuff, impart a shiny appearance or provide a protective coating;

18.

‘humectants’ are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium;

19.

‘modified starches’ are substances obtained by one or more chemical treatments of edible starches, which may have undergone a physical or enzymatic treatment, and may be acid or alkali thinned or bleached;

20.

‘packaging gases’ are gases other than air, introduced into a container before, during or after the placing of a foodstuff in that container;

21.

‘propellants’ are gases other than air which expel a foodstuff from a container;

22.

‘raising agents’ are substances or combinations of substances which liberate gas and thereby increase the volume of a dough or a batter;

23.

‘sequestrants’ are substances which form chemical complexes with metallic ions;

24.

[F1 ‘ stabilisers ’ are substances which make it possible to maintain the physico-chemical state of a foodstuff; stabilisers include substances which enable the maintenance of a homogenous dispersion of two or more immiscible substances in a foodstuff, substances which stabilise, retain or intensify colour of a foodstuff and substances which increase the binding capacity of the food, including the formation of cross-links between proteins enabling the binding of food pieces into re-constituted food;]

25.

‘thickeners’ are substances which increase the viscosity of a foodstuff;

26.

‘flour treatment agents’ are substances, other than emulsifiers, which are added to flour or dough to improve its baking quality[F2 ;]

27.

[F3 ‘ contrast enhancers ’ are substances which, when applied to the external surface of fruit or vegetables following depigmentation of predefined parts (e.g. by laser treatment), help to distinguish these parts from the remaining surface by imparting colour following interaction with certain components of the epidermis.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Substituted by Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/891 of 28 May 2019 amending Annexes I and II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the functional class of ‘stabilisers’ and the use of ferrous lactate (E 585) on the mushroom Albatrellus ovinus as a food ingredient in Swedish liver pâtés (Text with EEA relevance).

F2 Substituted by Commission Regulation (EU) No 510/2013 of 3 June 2013 amending Annexes I, II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the use of iron oxides and hydroxides (E 172), hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (E 464) and polysorbates (E 432-436) for marking of certain fruits (Text with EEA relevance).

F3 Inserted by Commission Regulation (EU) No 510/2013 of 3 June 2013 amending Annexes I, II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the use of iron oxides and hydroxides (E 172), hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (E 464) and polysorbates (E 432-436) for marking of certain fruits (Text with EEA relevance).