Controls on chemicals in food

Colours and additives help make and preserve food and drink products, but you must only use them as authorised and within legal limits to avoid health risks and enforcement.

Additives in food and drink products

Food additives are substances added to food for a specific technological purpose during manufacture, processing or storage. They include:

• antioxidants - to protect fats and oils from going rancid
• colours - to replace or enhance natural colour
• emulsifiers, stabilisers, gelling agents and thickeners - to help ingredients mix
• flavour enhancers - to bring out flavour without adding a taste of their own
• preservatives - to keep food safe for longer
• sweeteners - to replace sugar in certain foods

Additives must be authorised for use in particular foods and used within legal limits. Once authorised, additives are given E numbers, which are used in the UK, EU and associated countries to show that they have passed safety checks for particular uses.

If you use food additives, you must:

• only use additives that are approved for the category of food you make
• use additives within the legal maximum levels
• label additives correctly in the ingredients list, with their function and name or E number
• keep records from your suppliers that show additives are approved and used correctly

Under the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland continues to apply EU food additives law. A list of approved additives is included in Regulation 1333/2008. You can search the Food and Feed Information Portal Database to see the list of additives approved for use in food in the EU and their conditions of use.

Great Britain has its own but closely aligned GB regime for food additives. There is some flexibility for GB-approved additives used in eligible goods moved under the Northern Ireland retail movement scheme.

Labelling rules for food additives

If you use additives in your food and drink products, you must:

• make sure any prepacked food you supply to caterers or consumers includes all additives in the ingredients list
• list additives in the ingredients with their functional class (for example, ‘preservative’ or ‘colour’) and their specific name or E number

Extra labelling rules apply to some additives. For example:

• foods containing certain polyols must carry a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect
• foods containing aspartame or aspartame‑acesulfame salt must state that they contain a source of phenylalanine

These warnings are especially important for people with conditions such as phenylketonuria (PKU).

Colours in food and drink products

Food colours are additives used to change or strengthen the colour of food and drink. They are used to make products look consistent and more appealing. For example, colour additives can:

• mask natural colour variations
• replace colour lost in storage or processing
• make the food appear more appetising

Only approved food colours can be used in food across the EU and the UK. Unauthorised substances, including industrial dyes like Sudan dyes, butter yellow or toluidine red, are prohibited due to a lack of safety assessments.

Approved food colours can be used in both commercial and domestic food preparation. They can be either natural or synthetic (artificial).

If you use food colours, you must:

• only use colours that are approved for use in that type of food
• follow any legal limits on how much colour you can use
• label colours correctly in the ingredients list, with their function and name or E number
• follow the extra labelling rules for certain colours linked to hyperactivity in children

Check out the full list of permitted food colours in the EU.

Food colours and hyperactivity in children

Research has suggested a link between consuming certain food colours and hyperactivity in children. These colours include:

• sunset yellow FCF (E110)
• quinoline yellow (E104)
• carmoisine (E122)
• allura red (E129)
• tartrazine (E102)
• ponceau 4R (E124)

If you use any of these colours in food or drink products (except alcoholic drinks above 1.2% ABV), you must include a warning label on the packaging that says: 'May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children'. You should also check if your suppliers - including those overseas - use these colours to ensure proper labelling.

If you use any of these additives, the FSA suggests that you consider reformulating or using alternatives, especially if your products are aimed at children.

Food contact materials (FCMs) are materials and articles that are intended to, or can be reasonably expected to, come into contact with food during its production, processing, storage, preparation and serving.

This includes direct or indirect contact through things like:

• packaging, such as cartons, films and trays
• cookware, cutlery and tableware
• work surfaces and utensils
• food processing machinery and equipment

FCMs can be made from a range of materials including plastic, rubber, paper, ceramic, and metal. Chemicals can migrate from these materials into food and drink. The law aims to make sure chemical migration does not pose a risk to human health, or change the taste, smell, nature or quality of the food.

Food contact materials legislation

To ensure food safety, all FCMs must comply with relevant regulations. Northern Ireland businesses must follow EU rules on food contact materials under the Windsor Framework.

EU legislation on FCMs

All FCMs must meet Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, which sets general safety standards for food contact materials. All FCMs must also follow good manufacturing practices under Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006. In addition to the general legislation, certain FCMs - ceramic materials, regenerated cellulose film, plastics (including recycled plastic), and active and intelligent materials - are covered by specific EU measures. For materials without specific measures like paper, glass, wood, metals, textiles or inks, general safety rules apply.

Northern Ireland legislation on FCMs

In Northern Ireland, the Materials and Articles in Contact with Food Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 enforce the EU regulations directly. New or novel substances or processes in FCMs must follow the EU authorisation process.

Great Britain uses assimilated versions of the same regulations and has its own FCM authorisation process, but NI remains fully aligned with EU law. Pre-packaged FCMs authorised in Great Britain can enter Northern Ireland retail via the NI retail movement scheme (NIRMS) with 'Not for EU' labelling.

Steps to comply with food contact materials legislation

If you manufacture, import, process, distribute or use FCMs in food production, processing or packaging, you should:

1. Only use materials that are suitable for food contact and meet relevant legal requirements.
2. Get written declarations of compliance (DoC) from suppliers for all FCMs proving the safety and compliance of the material. This documentation must be available to enforcement authorities upon request.
3. Follow good manufacturing practices when producing, processing or using FCMs.
4. Label FCMs as suitable for food contact if needed. For goods moving from Great Britain to NI retail under the NIRMS, add 'Not for EU' labels where required.
5. Keep records of declarations, tests and supply chain information for at least four years to document good practice.

Labelling of food contact materials

FCMs must be labelled to show they are suitable for food use, unless the purpose is obvious, such as with a knife or plate. Labels must contain the glass and fork symbol or the words 'for food contact'. Include any necessary instructions, for example on maximum temperature or suitable food types like 'not for fatty foods'. You should check supplier DoCs to confirm labelling meets the relevant rules.

What to expect on enforcement

In Northern Ireland, local councils enforce legislation within the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) remit on food contact materials. They do this through inspections, sampling and document checks. If you do not comply, you may get an improvement notice, have products seized or face prosecution. Contact your local council for advice.

The FSA acts as the competent authority in Northern Ireland for handling EU applications and notifications under Commission Regulation 2022/1616 for new or novel recycled plastic processes used in food contact materials. All other FCMs follow direct EU processes under the Windsor Framework.

Food irradiation is the treatment of food with ionising radiation. Only certain food categories may be irradiated. The treatment involves exposing food to electron beams, X-rays or gamma rays. It must be carried out at approved facilities and under strict controls. Irradiated foods must be clearly labelled as 'irradiated' or 'treated with ionising radiation'.

Why is irradiation used in food?

Food irradiation can be used to:

• destroy harmful bacteria such as salmonella and campylobacter
• reduce spoilage of food and extend shelf life
• delay fruit ripening and stop vegetables from sprouting
• control pests in some food - for example, fruit flies

The law states irradiation can only be used if it benefits consumers. Businesses that want to irradiate a food product have to be able to show that the benefits of irradiation outweigh any negatives.

The UK law allows seven categories of foods to be irradiated:

• fruit
• vegetables
• cereals
• bulbs and tubers
• dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings
• fish and shellfish
• poultry

See also the scope of foods and food ingredients authorised for irradiation in the EU.

Is irradiated food safe?

Major international bodies (including the World Health Organisation, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and European scientific committees) consider irradiation safe when used within legal limits. The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) also recognises irradiation of food as a safe processing technique and oversees irradiated food regulation across the UK.

What you must do if you use or sell irradiated foods

If you use or sell irradiated food, you must:

• source it only from approved facilities
• keep supplier records showing what was irradiated and where
• label it clearly as 'irradiated' or 'treated with ionising radiation'

If irradiated food is used as an ingredient, these words must appear next to the ingredient in the ingredients list. If irradiated food is not pre-packed, these words must appear on a display or notice above or beside the container.

Regulators can detect whether foods have been irradiated and sample foods on the market to check that the rules are followed. They can also check that the products are correctly labelled.

Acrylamide is a chemical that can form when you cook carbohydrate-rich (starchy) foods at high temperatures (above 120°C). It is mainly found in:

• potatoes, chips and crisps
• cereals and similar products
• bread, biscuits and other baked foods

Acrylamide is also present in tobacco smoke and coffee (from roasting), and in low levels in some dried fruits like prunes or pears due to processing heat, but is not typically present in raw foods.

How does acrylamide form

Acrylamide is a natural by-product that forms during frying, baking, roasting, grilling and toasting of starchy food, usually at temperatures above 120°C. It is a product of the Maillard reaction where the amino acid asparagine reacts with reducing sugars during browning. This reaction produces the desirable flavour, crispness and colour in food, but can also generate acrylamide. Boiling and steaming do not usually lead to the formation of acrylamide.

Acrylamide and potential health risks

Laboratory tests show that acrylamide in the diet causes cancer in animals. Scientists agree that acrylamide in food has the potential to cause cancer in humans as well. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends that the amount of acrylamide we all consume is reduced, as a precaution. See more information on the risks of acrylamide in foods.

Managing acrylamide in food industry

If you operate a food business, you must put in place practical steps to manage acrylamide as part of your food safety management system, and keep levels as low as possible. You are expected to:

• understand acrylamide risks
• apply relevant mitigation steps
• monitor levels via sampling where needed
• keep records

Different requirements will apply depending on the nature and size of the business. Some common mitigation steps may involve:

• choosing low-sugar raw materials, such as certain potato varieties
• following guidance on cooking times and temperatures to avoid over-browning
• reviewing recipes and processes to meet acrylamide rules
• adding asparaginase enzyme to reduce acrylamide formation
• training staff on temperature, time and colour controls

There are currently no regulatory safe limits set for acrylamide in food, only mitigation measures and benchmark levels under Regulation (EU) 2017/2158 (for Northern Ireland) to guide performance. However, food contact materials rules limit acrylamide migration from plastic into food to 0.01 mg/kg (not detectable at that level). 

Check the FSA enforcement guidelines, UK industry guides and the FoodDrinkEurope acrylamide toolkit for more details.

Chemical residues are traces of pesticides (used on crops) or veterinary medicines (used on food-producing animals) that can remain in food. They may be found in fruit, vegetables, cereals, meat, milk, eggs and other animal products.

Food businesses are responsible for ensuring that the food they produce or import is compliant with current legislation, including rules on specified maximum residue levels.

What are maximum residue levels (MRLs)

MRLs are the maximum amounts of residue likely to remain in food when a product like a pesticide or veterinary medicine has been used correctly. They are set so that dietary intake remains within safe levels for consumers.

MRLs are expressed as milligrams of residue per kilogram of food product. Before being approved for use, pesticides and veterinary medicines must be proven to be completely safe for human consumption at their MRLs - and usually safe at much higher levels. National monitoring programmes regularly sample foods to check that residues are within legal limits. If residues above the MRL are found, authorities can investigate and take enforcement action.

Pesticide residue levels in food and feed

Pesticides are used in agriculture, horticulture and domestic gardening to control pests, weeds and diseases. Small amounts of pesticides can remain in or on food as residues.

In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) authorises which pesticides can be used and how. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) works closely with HSE on pesticides and food safety.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs sets pesticide MRLs in Great Britain to make sure residues in food are not harmful to people.

In Northern Ireland, European Union MRLs apply to food or feed produced in or imported into and marketed within NI - this excludes goods moved from GB under the Northern Ireland retail movement scheme. See guidance on pesticide MRLs in Northern Ireland.

How to comply with pesticide MRLs

If you grow, import, process or sell food, you must:

• buy products from reputable suppliers who follow pesticide rules
• keep invoices, specifications and certificates showing products meet MRLs
• respond quickly to food alerts or residue findings affecting your supply chain
• co-operate with any official sampling or investigations

Information on EU pesticide law and procedures is also available on the European Commission website. You can search for EU MRLs in the EU pesticides database.

Veterinary medicines residue levels in food and feed

Veterinary medicines are used to treat and prevent disease in animals, including animals used for food. Traces of these medicines can remain in meat, milk, eggs and other animal products.

In the UK, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) assesses veterinary medicines before they are authorised. In Great Britain, VMD sets UK MRLs for veterinary medicines and ensures they are safe for consumers. In Northern Ireland, EU MRLs for veterinary medicines apply under EU law.

The FSA assesses any food safety risks from residues in food, and enforcement in Northern Ireland is carried out by the relevant NI authorities, including the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, under the veterinary medicines and food law frameworks.

How to comply with veterinary medicines MRLs

If you keep food‑producing animals, you must:

• use only authorised veterinary medicines and follow dosage instructions
• observe withdrawal periods before animals, milk or eggs enter the food chain
• keep accurate records of all treatments and medicine use
• co‑operate with any official residue testing and investigations

If you buy animal products for processing or retail, you should:

• purchase from reputable suppliers who follow veterinary medicine rules
• keep supply chain documentation to show where animal products came from

Residue monitoring programmes run nationally. If residues exceed MRLs, national agencies and enforcement bodies can investigate farms or supply chains to identify and resolve the issue.