Food groups

Regulators write additive rules against their own categories of food, and the categories do not match: what the EU calls 1.8 gathers every dairy analogue in one place, Codex files each one beside the product it imitates, and Australia and New Zealand have no such class at all. These pages put an everyday group of foods — cheese, bread, soft drinks, baby food — beside each system's categories for it, and show which additives each permits there.

Each mapping is this site's reading, not an official equivalence. Where a system cuts the food differently, or has no category for it, the group's page says so. Treat a side-by-side comparison as a starting point and read the category and the conditions before relying on it.

• Milk, cream and milk powderapproximate

  Drinking milk and buttermilk, cream, and condensed, evaporated and powdered milk and cream.

• Yoghurt and fermented milkapproximate

  Yoghurt, buttermilk and other fermented and renneted milks, plain or flavoured.

• Cheeseclose

  Cheese of every kind, including processed cheese, whey cheese and edible rind.

• Dairy alternatives and analoguespartial

  Plant-based drinks and imitation dairy products, and the whiteners used in place of milk in hot drinks.

• Ice cream and edible icesclose

  Ice cream, sorbet, sherbet, water ices and other frozen confections.

• Cooking fats and oilsapproximate

  Oils and fats sold as such — vegetable oils, lard, tallow, fish oil, ghee — rather than as a spread.

• Butter, margarine and spreadsclose

  Butter, margarine, and the water-in-oil emulsions sold as table and cooking spreads.

• Fresh fruit and vegetablesapproximate

  Fruit, vegetables, mushrooms, roots, tubers, pulses and seaweeds sold raw, whether whole, cut or surface-treated.

• Processed fruit and vegetablesapproximate

  Fruit and vegetables that have been dried, canned, pickled, cooked, fermented, pureed or made into jam.

• Nuts, seeds and nut butterspartial

  Processed and coated nuts, nut mixtures, and spreads made from nuts or seeds such as peanut butter.

• Chocolate and sweetsapproximate

  Chocolate, cocoa products, boiled and soft sweets, nougat and marzipan, and the icings, decorations and sweet toppings used on them.

• Chewing gumapproximate

  Chewing gum and bubble gum, sugared and sugar-free.

• Grains, flours, starches and battersapproximate

  Whole, broken and flaked grains; milled flours, meals and starches; batters and breading mixes; and pre-cooked cereals such as cooked rice and rice cakes.

• Breakfast cerealsapproximate

  Cereals eaten at breakfast: flakes, puffed and extruded cereals, muesli and rolled oats.

• Pasta and noodlesapproximate

  Fresh, dried and pre-cooked pasta and noodles, and the fillings of stuffed pasta.

• Bread and rollsapproximate

  Ordinary breads and rolls, including flatbreads, steamed buns, crumbs and stuffing.

• Cakes, biscuits and pastriesclose

  Fine bakery wares: cakes, cookies, biscuits, pies, pastries, doughnuts and the mixes for them.

• Soy foods and protein productspartial

  Tofu and other soybean foods, and the vegetable and animal protein products used as meat substitutes and extenders.

• Fresh meat and poultryapproximate

  Raw meat, poultry and game, whole or minced, before processing.

• Processed and cured meatapproximate

  Bacon, ham, sausages, salami, canned and dried meats, and the casings and coatings used on them.

• Fish and seafoodapproximate

  Fish, molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms, raw or processed, including roe and caviar.

• Eggs and egg productsclose

  Shell eggs and liquid, frozen, dried and preserved egg products.

• Sugar, syrups and honeyclose

  Refined and raw sugars, glucose and other syrups, treacle, molasses, maple syrup and honey.

• Table-top sweetenersclose

  Sweeteners sold to the consumer to sweeten food and drink at the table.

• Salt and salt substitutesclose

  Table, cooking and dendritic salt, and the potassium-based mixtures sold in its place.

• Herbs, spices and seasoningspartial

  Dried herbs and spices, seasoning mixes and the flavouring blends sold with instant foods.

• Soups, sauces and condimentsapproximate

  Soups and broths, table and cooking sauces, gravies, ketchup, mayonnaise and salad dressings, mustard, vinegar, soy sauce and prepared salads.

• Crisps and savoury snacksapproximate

  Potato, cereal, flour and starch-based snacks, and other ready-to-eat savouries.

• Desserts and puddingsapproximate

  Puddings, custards, jellies, mousses and other sweet desserts other than ice cream and confectionery.

• Infant formulaapproximate

  Infant formula, follow-on formula and formulae for infants with special medical needs.

• Baby food and foods for young childrenapproximate

  Processed cereal-based foods, jarred and pouched baby foods, and drinks sold for young children.

• Dietary foods, medical foods and supplementspartial

  Foods for special medical purposes, meal replacements for weight control, sports and supplementary foods, gluten-free foods, and food supplements.

• Bottled waterclose

  Natural mineral water, spring water, table water and carbonated or soda waters.

• Fruit and vegetable juiceapproximate

  Juices, nectars, juice drinks and the concentrates they are made from.

• Soft drinks and flavoured watersapproximate

  Carbonated and still flavoured drinks, colas, squashes, cordials and the concentrates for them.

• Energy, sports and electrolyte drinkspartial

  Drinks sold for energy, hydration or sports use, and the supplementary foods marketed with them.

• Coffee, tea and infusionsclose

  Coffee and coffee substitutes, tea, herbal and fruit infusions, and instant mixes for hot drinks.

• Beerclose

  Beer, malt beverages and their alcohol-free counterparts.

• Wine, cider and meadapproximate

  Grape wines still, sparkling and fortified; fruit and made wines; cider, perry and mead.

• Spirits and mixed alcoholic drinksapproximate

  Distilled spirits and liqueurs, aromatised wine products, and ready-mixed and low-alcohol drinks based on them.