6. Authorisation of additives
Since 1st April 2025, The Register of Food Additive Authorisations has been the primary source of information on food additives authorised for use in Great Britain. This is the domestic list referred to in Regulation (EU) 1331/2008 and Regulation (EU) 1333/2008.
Authorisations were previously detailed in Annex II and Annex III of Regulation (EC) 1333/2008, however, the Food and Feed (Regulated Products) (Amendment, Revocation, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 had the effect of revoking these in Great Britain from 1st April 2025 while preserving the terms of authorisation. The register directs officers to a version of Annex II and Annex III in effect prior to the revocation, which details the conditions of use for each authorisation.
Authorisations for food additives use a product categorisation system. The categories used are outlined in the guidance on using the register. By identifying the category a product falls into, an officer should then be able to use the register to determine whether a specific additive is authorised for use and, if so, what its conditions of use are.
In determining whether use of an additive is authorised, consideration will also require to be given to the carry over principle outlined in Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 1333/2008.
Annex 1 to this guidance includes some examples of product categories where non-compliance has been previously identified for certain additives.