Additives permitted in beer

Beer, malt beverages and their alcohol-free counterparts.

This comparison is a starting point, not an equivalence. The four systems here do not share a vocabulary, so the categories shown for each are this site's reading of where a food in this group falls. The systems draw this group the same way, give or take internal detail. Beer and malt beverages, code for code in all four systems. The difference is inheritance, not scope: Schedule 15's 14.2.1 and Codex's 14.2.1 take whatever is permitted for 14.2 and 14 above them, while the EU and GB infer nothing from 14.2.

What each system calls it

EU food categories
14.2.1 beer and malt beverages — 47 additives
Great Britain food categories
14.2.1 Beer and malt beverages — 45 additives
Codex food categories
14.2.1 Beer and malt beverages — 25 additives
Australia and New Zealand food categories
14.2.1 Beer and related products — 24 additives

Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United States are not here. Canada writes its permissions against foods named in prose, Japan's and South Korea's standards of use name foods in their own language rather than by a category code, and the US permits most substances for use in food generally rather than by category. Their pages carry what this site holds.

Where they differ

A difference is not a disagreement about safety. A regulator may permit a substance in a neighbouring category, regulate it under another instrument, or simply never have been asked. Open an additive to see what each regulator actually says.

Where the ceilings differ

Permitting a substance and permitting the same amount of it are different questions. These are the additives in this group whose most permissive figure differs by a factor of four or more between systems. The category each figure comes from is shown, because a group maps to several categories in each system and the most permissive figure often belongs to one narrow food inside it. See how much is permitted.

67 additives, side by side

67 shown

AdditiveFunctionEUGBCodexANZ
Acesulfame potassium E950SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Advantame E969SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Ascorbic acid E300PreservativePermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Aspartame E951SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Aspartame-acesulfame salt E962SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Benzoic acid E210PreservativePermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Calcium ascorbate E302AntioxidantNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBNo permission found in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Calcium benzoate E213PreservativePermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Calcium disodium EDTA E385SequestrantNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBPermitted in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Calcium hydrogen sulphite E227—Permitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Calcium saccharin E954SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Calcium sulphite E226—Permitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Caramel I – plain caramel E150aColourPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Caramel II - sulfite caramel E150bColourPermitted in EUPermitted in GBPermitted in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Caramel III - ammonia caramel E150cColourPermitted in EUPermitted in GBPermitted in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Caramel IV - sulfite ammonia caramel E150dColourPermitted in EUPermitted in GBPermitted in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Carbon dioxide E290PropellantNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBNo permission found in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Carmines E120ColourNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBPermitted in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Citric acid E330Acidity regulatorPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Curcumin E100ColourNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBPermitted in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Disodium EDTASequestrantNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBPermitted in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Enzymatically produced steviol glycosides E960cSweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBPermitted in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Erythorbic acid E315PreservativeNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBNo permission found in CodexPermitted in ANZ
FD&C Yellow No. 5 E102ColourNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBPermitted in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Glucosylated steviol glycosides E960dSweetenerPermitted in EUNo permission found in GBPermitted in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Glycolipids E246—Permitted in EUNo permission found in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Gum arabic (Acacia gum) E414EmulsifierPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Lactic acid E270Acidity regulatorPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Lysozyme E1105PreservativePermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Neohesperidine DC E959SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Neotame E961SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Nisin preparation E234PreservativeNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBNo permission found in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Nitrogen E941PropellantNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBNo permission found in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Polydextrose E1200ThickenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Polydimethylsiloxane E900EmulsifierNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBPermitted in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Polyvinylpyrrolidone E1201ThickenerNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBPermitted in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Potassium benzoate E212PreservativePermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Potassium bisulfite E228PreservativePermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Potassium metabisulfite E224PreservativePermitted in EUPermitted in GBPermitted in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Potassium saccharin E954SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Potassium sorbate E202PreservativePermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Potassium sulfitePreservativeNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBPermitted in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Propylene glycol alginate E405EmulsifierPermitted in EUPermitted in GBPermitted in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Quillaia extract type 2EmulsifierNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBNo permission found in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Quillaia extract type IEmulsifierNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBNo permission found in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Rebaudioside AM produced via enzymatic conversion of highly purified stevioside stevia leaf extracts E960c(iv)SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Rebaudioside D produced via enzymatic conversion of highly purified rebaudioside A stevia leaf extracts E960c(iii)SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Rebaudioside M from fermentation produced by Yarrowia lipolytica E960b(i)SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Rebaudioside M produced via enzymatic conversion of highly purified rebaudioside A stevia leaf extracts E960c(ii)SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Rebaudioside M produced via enzyme modification of steviol glycosides from stevia E960c(i)SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Saccharin E954SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Sodium ascorbate E301AntioxidantPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Sodium benzoate E211PreservativePermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Sodium bisulfite E222PreservativePermitted in EUPermitted in GBPermitted in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Sodium erythorbate (Sodium isoascorbate) E316PreservativeNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBNo permission found in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Sodium metabisulfite E223PreservativePermitted in EUPermitted in GBPermitted in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Sodium potassium tartrate E337Acidity regulatorNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBPermitted in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Sodium saccharin E954SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Sodium sulfite E221Flour treatment agentPermitted in EUPermitted in GBPermitted in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Sodium tartrate E335EmulsifierNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBPermitted in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Sodium thiosulfateAntioxidantNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBPermitted in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Sorbic acid E200PreservativePermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Steviol glycosides from fermentation E960bSweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBPermitted in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Steviol glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (Steviol glycosides from Stevia) E960SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBPermitted in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Sucralose E955SweetenerPermitted in EUPermitted in GBNo permission found in CodexNo permission found in ANZ
Sulfur dioxide E220PreservativePermitted in EUPermitted in GBPermitted in CodexPermitted in ANZ
Tartaric acid E334Acidity regulatorNo permission found in EUNo permission found in GBPermitted in CodexNo permission found in ANZ

● a permission this site matched to one of the categories above ○ none found there. Levels and conditions differ between them; each category page has the detail.