2. Product Categories
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Mixture of Food Additives
Sri Lanka
This section provides the regulatory definition of the food category in scope, or the appropriate food category for the product in scope. Additionally, it provides the food products that belong to this food category along with the definition and specific information on each of these types of food products.
2.1 Category Name & Definition
Category Name
Food additive
Definition
“Food Additive” [1] means any substance not normally consumed as a food by itself and not normally used as a typical ingredient of the food, whether or not it has nutritive values, the intentional addition of which to food for a technological (including organoleptic) purpose in the manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment, packaging, transport or storage of such food results, or may be reasonably expected to result (directly or indirectly), in it or its by-products becoming a component of or otherwise affecting the characteristics of such foods. The term does not include common salt, substances added to food for maintaining or improving nutritional quality or contaminants.
Under food additives, “Processing aid” [1] is also included. It means any substance or material, not including apparatus or utensils, and not consumed as a food ingredient by itself, intentionally used in the processing of raw material, foods or its ingredient to fulfill a certain technological purpose during treatment or processing which may result in the non-intentional but unavoidable presence of residues or derivative in the final products.
2.2 Product & Definition
1) Additive Premix
There is no legal category for “Additive premix” or “Mixture of food additives” per se in the legislation. However, the name is applicable for the product of interest.
Definition
This is not defined under Sri Lankan food laws but the definitions detailed in Section 2.1 above are applicable.
Specifications
In accordance with Section 2 (a)(b) of the Food (Additives – General) regulations 2019 [1], the following food additives are permitted:
(a) food additives which are covered by regulations specified in Schedule I (e.g. antioxidants, colouring substances, preservatives, flavoring substances, and sweeteners); and
(b) classes of food additives used for technological functions (e.g. emulsifiers, acidity regulators, etc.) that are specified in Schedule II and whose conditions for use are laid down in the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, unless their use is regulated in product standards established under the Food Act.
Food Additives should at all times conform to an approved specification, for example, the Specification of Identity and Purity as recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
Note: The GSFA lists and evaluations carried out by Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) are consulted before approval of any Food Additive in Sri Lanka.
Target Age
Maximum limits are specified based on the finished product that may be limited to certain target age groups. Certain specific restrictions are also defined.
Additional Information
Food (Additives-General) Regulation – 2019 [1] is the main law on food additives in Sri Lanka. Permitted Food Additives are prescribed with their Maximum Limits under the regulations. They are invariably based on the "Codex General Standard for Food Additives" (GSFA, Codex STAN 192-1995) [2] which sets forth the conditions under which permitted food additives may be used in all foods.
2.3 References
1. Food (Additives - General) Regulations 2019
http://www.eohfs.health.gov.lk/food/images/pdf/regulations/additive-english.pdf
2. Codex General Standards of Food Additives (GFSA)
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