CAC/GL 36-1989 Class Names and the International Numbering System for Food Additives
SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION
The International Numbering System for Food Additives (INS) is intended as a harmonised naming system for food additives as an alternative to the use of the specific name, which may be lengthy. Inclusion in the INS does not imply approval by Codex for use as food additives. The list may include those additives that have not been evaluated by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).
The INS does not include flavourings, which have a JECFA number as identifier, chewing gum bases, and dietetic and nutritive additives. Enzymes which function as food additives have been included in an 1100 series.
EXPLANATORY NOTES ON THE LAY-OUT OF THE INS
The INS in numerical order (Section 3) is set out in three columns giving the identification number, the name of the food additive and the technological purposes. The identification number usually consists of three or four digits such as 100 for curcumins and 1001 for choline salts and esters. However, in some instances the number is followed by an alphabetical suffix, for example, 150a identifies Caramel I – plain caramel and 150b identifies Caramel II - sulfite caramel. The alphabetical designations are included in order to further characterize the different classes of additives (e.g. caramel produced by different processes).
Under the column listing the name of the food additive, some additives are further subdivided by numerical subscripts. For example, curcumins are subdivided into (i) curcumin and (ii) turmeric. These identifications identify sub-classes (in this case of curcumins) which are covered by separate Codex specifications.
The name of the food additive is sometimes followed by an additional name in parentheses. The parenthetical name is optional, and may be used, when necessary, to indicate another commonly associated name or synonym for the additive, for example INS 235 Natamycin (Pimaricin). Not all synonyms are listed. The name of an additive is sometimes, after a comma, followed by a description of the additive, for example INS 161h(i) Zeaxanthin, synthetic.
The various technological purposes of the food additives are included in the INS in a third column. The purposes listed are indicative rather than exhaustive. The technological purposes are grouped under more descriptive functional class titles which are intended to be meaningful to consumers. These are listed in Section 2 along with simple definitions of the function performed.
A single food additive can often be used for a range of technological purposes in a food and it remains the responsibility of the manufacturer to declare the most descriptive functional class in the list of ingredients.
