In this section, you can find the legislation and guidelines for purity criteria.

EU legislation

Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 (OJ L 83) of 9 March 2012 laying down specifications for food additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council

Amended by:

• Commission Regulation (EU) No 1050/2012 (OJ L 310, p45, 09/11/2012) of 8 November 2012 as regards Polyglycitol syrup
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 25/2013 of 16 January 2013 as regards the food additive potassium diacetate
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 497/2013 (OJ L 143, p20, 30/05/2013)of 29 May 2013 amending and correcting Regulation (EU) No 231/2012
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 724/2013 (OJ L 202, p11, 27/07/2013) of 26 July 2013 as regards specifications on several polyols
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 739/2013 (OJ L 204, p35, 31/07/2013) of 30 July 2013 as regards specifications for Stigmasterol-rich plant sterols food additive
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 816/2013 (OJ L 230, p1, 29/08/2013) of 28 August 2013 as regards the specifications for Basic methacrylate copolymer (E 1205), Neutral methacrylate copolymer and Anionic methacrylate copolymer
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 817/2013 (OJ L 230, p7, 29/08/2013) of 28 August 2013 as regards Octenyl succinic acid modified gum arabic
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 1274/2013 (OJ L 328, p79, 07/12/2013) of 6 December 2013 as regards certain food additives
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 264/2014 (OJ L 76, p22, 15/03/2014) of 14 March 2014 as regards the specification polyvinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate copolymer in solid food supplements
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 298/2014 (OJ L 89, p36, 25/03/2014) of 21 March 2014 as regards Magnesium dihydrogen diphosphate for use as raising agent and acidity regulator
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 497/2014 (OJ L 143, p6, 15/05/2014) of 14 May 2014 as regards the use of Advantame as a sweetener
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 506/2014 (OJ L 145, p35, 16/05/2014) of 15 May as regards Ethyl lauroyl arginate as a preservative in certain heat-treated meat products
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 685/2014 (OJ L 182, p23, 21/06/20147) of 20 June 2014 as regards polyvinyl alcohol- polyethylene glycol-graft-co-polymer in solid food supplements
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 923/2014 (OJ L 252, p11, 26/08/2014) of 25 August 2014 as regards the specifications for riboflavins (E 101)
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 957/2014 (OJ L 270, p1, 11/09/2014) of 10 September 2014 as regards the removal of montan acid esters (E 912)
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 966/2014 (OJ L 272, p1, 13/09/2014) of 12 September 2014 as regards specifications for calcium propionate
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/463 (OJ L 76, p42, 20/03/2015) of 19 March 2015 as regards specifications for polyvinyl alcohol (E 1203)
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/649 (OJ L 107, p17, 25/04/2015) of 24 April 2015 as regards the use of L-leucine as a carrier for table-top sweeteners in tablets
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1725 (OJ L 252, p12, 29/09/2015) of 28 September 2015 as regards specifications for Ethyl lauroyl arginate (E 243) 
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1739 (OJ L 253, p3, 30/09/2015) of 28 September 2015 as regards the use of the iron tartrate as an anti-caking agent in salt and its substitutes
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/1814 (OJ L 278, p37, 14/10/2016) of 13 October 2016 as regards specifications for steviol glycosides (E 960)
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/324 (OJ L 49, p4, 25/02/2017) of 24 February 2017 as regards specifications for Basic methacrylate copolymer (E 1205)
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1399 (OJ L 199, p8, 29/07/2017) of 28 July 2017 as regards potassium polyaspartate
  Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/75 (OJ L13, p24, 18/01/2018) of 17 January 2018 as regards specifications for Microcrystalline cellulose (E460(i))
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/98 (OJ L 17, 23/1/2018, p. 14–28) of 22 January 2018 as regards calcium sorbate (E 203)
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/681 (OJ L 116, 7/5/2018, p. 1–4) of 4 May 2018 as regards specifications for Polyvinyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol graft-co-polymer (E 1209)
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/1462 (OJ L 245, 18/01/2018, p. 6–8) of 28 September 2018 as regards specifications for certain sorbitan esters (E 491 Sorbitan monostearate, E 492 Sorbitan tristearate and E 495 Sorbitan monopalmitate)
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/1472 (OJ L 247, 3/10/2018, p. 1–4) of 28 September 2018 as regards Cochineal, Carminic acid, Carmines (E 120) 
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/1481 (OJ L 251, 5/10/2018, p. 13–18) of 4 October 2018 as regards octyl gallate (E 311) and dodecyl gallate (E 312)
   

 Consolidated version of Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 (as at 31 October 2022)

National legislation

European Union (Food Additives) Regulations 2015 (S.I. No. 330 of 2015)

Amended By:

• European Union (Food Additives) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No 484 of 2016) 

Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 sets out the specifications relating to the origin (source), purity criteria and any other necessary information that is adopted for food additives authorised for use within the EU, i.e. those additives listed in Annex II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008.