Food Additive
Definition
A substance added to food to perform a technological function such as preserving, colouring, flavouring, or improving texture. Food additives must be declared on labels using their class name and number or specific name.
Key Takeaways
- •Food additives must be permitted under FSANZ Standard 1.3.1 — use of an additive not listed in the schedules is illegal
- •Each additive must be declared in the ingredient list by its class name (e.g. 'preservative') followed by its number or name
- •Additives are only permitted at the levels specified in the standard; exceeding maximum permitted levels is a compliance breach
- •Processing aids that are functionally absent in the final food do not need to be declared, but allergen-containing processing aids do
- •When reformulating, check that any new additive is permitted in your food category and at your intended use level
Regulatory Source
- Standard 1.3.1— Food additives — specifies which additives are permitted in which foods and at what maximum permitted levels
- Standard 1.2.4— Statement of ingredients — additive class names and numbers must be declared in the ingredient list
Last verified against current standards: April 2026
Regulatory authority: Food Standards Australia New Zealand
What is a Food Additive?
A food additive is a substance intentionally added to food for a technological purpose — such as preservation, colouration, flavouring, or texture modification — rather than as a food ingredient. Under FSANZ Standard 1.3.1, only additives that are explicitly permitted in the Food Standards Code may be used in food, and only at specified maximum permitted levels for specific food categories.
The key distinction: salt used to flavour a soup is an ingredient; sodium nitrite used to preserve and colour a cured meat is an additive. Both are sodium-containing compounds, but they serve different functional purposes and are regulated differently.
Permitted Food Additives Under FSANZ
Standard 1.3.1 specifies approximately 300 approved food additives grouped by class:
- Preservatives (e.g. sodium nitrite, sorbic acid, benzoic acid)
- Colourings (e.g. tartrazine, allura red)
- Flavour enhancers (e.g. monosodium glutamate)
- Thickeners and gelling agents (e.g. xanthan gum, gelatin)
- Emulsifiers and stabilisers (e.g. lecithin, monoglycerides)
Each approved additive is assigned an INS number (International Numbering System). In Australia, additives must be declared on labels using either their class name and INS number (e.g. "Preservative 202") or their chemical name (e.g. "Potassium sorbate").
Food Additives in Practice for Australian Food Manufacturers
What additives can you use? Only those explicitly listed in Standard 1.3.1 for your specific food category. A preservative approved for meat products may not be approved for beverages. Using an unapproved additive is a breach of the Food Standards Code, regardless of safety.
Common mistakes:
Using additives that are legal in other countries but not approved in Australia. The FSANZ approval list is shorter than the US FDA or European approval lists. Just because an additive is legal in the US does not mean it is approved in Australia.
Not checking the maximum permitted level. Even approved additives have limits. Sodium nitrite has a maximum permitted level in cured meats; exceeding it is a contravention.
Not updating additive use when switching suppliers. If your ingredient supplier changes the additive package they use (e.g. a different preservative system), your additive declaration may change. Verify with every supplier change.
Worked example: A manufacturer produces a shelf-stable jam using pectin as a gelling agent and potassium sorbate as a preservative. Both are approved under Standard 1.3.1. The pectin is declared as "Thickener 440 (pectin)" and the sorbate as "Preservative 202 (potassium sorbate)" on the ingredient list.
How Batchbase Manages Additives
When you add an ingredient to a recipe in Batchbase, you can specify whether it is an additive and, if so, its INS number and class. When generating an ingredient list for a label, Batchbase correctly formats additive declarations according to Standard 1.2.4 — class name + INS number for recognised additives.
Related Standards and References
- FSANZ Standard 1.3.1 — Food additives
- FSANZ Standard 1.2.4 — Statement of ingredients (additive labelling)
- FSANZ food standards code
Related Terms
Food Standards Code
The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code — the collection of standards governing food composition, labelling, safety, and production maintained by FSANZ.
FSANZ
Food Standards Australia New Zealand — the regulatory body that develops and maintains the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code governing food labelling, safety, and composition.
Ingredient List
A mandatory component of food labels listing all ingredients in descending order of weight, using prescribed names and identifying allergens and food additives.