International Numbering System for Food Additives

The International Numbering System for Food Additives (INS) is a European-based naming system for food additives, aimed at providing a short designation of what may be a lengthy actual name.^[1] It is defined by Codex Alimentarius, the international food standards organisation of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN). The information is published in the document Class Names and the International Numbering System for Food Additives, first published in 1989, with revisions in 2008 and 2011. The INS is an open list, "subject to the inclusion of additional additives or removal of existing ones on an ongoing basis".^[1]

Numbering system

INS numbers consist of three or four digits, optionally followed by an alphabetical suffix to further characterize individual additives. On packaging in the European Union (EU), approved food additives are written with a prefix of E. An additive that appears in the INS does not automatically have a corresponding E number.

INS numbers are assigned by the committee to identify each food additive. INS numbers generally correspond to E numbers for the same compound, e.g. INS 102, Tartrazine, is also E102. INS numbers are not unique and, in fact, one number may be assigned to a group of similar compounds.

List of INS numbers

• Except where stated, the list of INS numbers and associated food additives is based on the most recent publication of the Codex Alimentarius,^[2] Class Names and the International Numbering System for Food Additives, first published in 1989, with revisions in 2008 and 2011.
• E number and American approval flags are derived from other sources.
• In the table below, food additives approved for the EU are listed with an 'E',^[3] and those approved for Australia and New Zealand with an 'A'.^[4][5] and for the US with a U, even though the US does not use the INS numbering system.

See also

• Food portal

• Codex Alimentarius
• Codex Alimentarius Austriacus
• E number
• Food Additives
• Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
• Food Chemicals Codex
• List of food additives

References

1. "Class Names and the International Numbering System for Food Additives", CAC/GL 36-1989, in 1989, Revision 2008. Last amendment 2011. Published by Codex Alimentarius
2. "CLASS NAMES AND THE INTERNATIONAL NUMBERING SYSTEM FOR FOOD ADDITIVES" (PDF). www.fao.org. Retrieved 2019-01-08.
3. Current EU approved additives and their E Numbers
4. Food Standards Australia data is wrong New Zealand (2009). "Food Additives — Numerical List". foodstandards.gov.au. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
5. Food Standards Australia—New Zealand (2009). "Food additives — Alphabetical list". Australia: foodstandards.gov.au. Archived from the original on 16 May 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
6. "Food Additives DB (GSFA Online) | CODEXALIMENTARIUS FAO-WHO".
7. "Additives".
8. "Food Additive Status List". FDA. 25 August 2022.

Further reading

• Codex Alimentarius
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand
• Food Additives and Ingredients Association
• Northern Allergy Centre's Guide to Food Additives
• USFDA: Food Color Facts