Mica-based pearlescent pigments
Mica-based pearlescent pigmentsThese are the pigments that give confectionery and drinks a pearlescent shimmer. They are flakes of mica coated with titanium dioxide or iron oxide, and the effect comes from light interference rather than from a dye.
Where it is and isn’t permitted
| Jurisdiction | Status | Scope and limits | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Permitted | 21 CFR 73.350retrieved 2026-09-07 | |
| Codex Alimentarius | Not listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited. |
What it is made from
Ground mica, a naturally occurring mineral silicate, coated with a thin layer of titanium dioxide or iron oxide. The layer thickness determines which colours the flakes reflect.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
Every name it appears under
1 recorded name. A label may use any of them.
As it appears in regulation
- Mica-based pearlescent pigments
Hazard reference values
No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.
Evidence and how bodies read it
Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated by hand rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.
Sources for this page
- ecfr retrieved 2026-09-07
Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.
Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/mica-based-pearlescent-pigments.json