Food Additive Analysis — (EC) 1333/2008 / Colorant, Phosphate, Antioxidant

What Is Additives?

Food additive analysis is the detection and quantification of substances added to the product for technological purposes. Colorants are measured by HPLC-DAD, antioxidants by HPLC or GC, and phosphates by ion chromatography or spectrophotometric method. The analysis list is based on product category and suspected additives.

Purpose of Additives

The aim is to show that there are no unauthorized additives in the product, that the authorized additives do not exceed the maximum levels and that they are declared correctly on the label.

Which Products Is Additives Applied To?

Confectionery and drinks
Meat and delicatessen products (phosphate)
Oil and fatty products (antioxidants)
Ready meals and sauces
Unlu mamuller

In Which Sectors Is Additives Used?

FoodAgricultureRetailChemistry

Standards Related to Additives

TS EN 12857 / EN 12856 (determination of certain additives by HPLC)
TS EN 15911 (Determination of synthetic dyes in food by HPLC)
TS EN 1784 / 1785 (detection of irradiated food — when relevant)
AOAC and JECFA methods

Additives Conditions

Analiz listesi: Installed according to product category and label declaration
Extraction: Specific to the additive group; different for colorant, antioxidant and phosphate
Measurement: HPLC-DAD, LC-MS/MS, GC veya iyon kromatografisi

Equipment for Additives

HPLC-DAD and LC-MS/MS
GC-MS
Ion chromatography
UV/Vis spectrophotometer
Sample preparation systems

Sample Requirements for Additives

Homogenized representative sample
Label and ingredients list must be provided
Product category must be declared
Any suspected contribution should be noted — targeted analysis is more sensitive

Duration of Additives

The duration depends on the width of the analysis list. Targeted single-group analysis takes several business days, while large screening packages take longer.

Additives Procedure

1The product category and label declaration are examined.
2The list of contributions to be analyzed is determined.
3The sample is extracted in accordance with the additive group.
4Cleaning is applied if necessary.
5Chromatographic measurement is made.
6The results are compared with the permissions and levels in the legislation.

Additives Acceptance Criteria

Annex II of (EC) 1333/2008 defines permitted additives and maximum levels by food category; Annex III regulates processing aids and carriers. The presence of an impermissible contribution is non-compliance regardless of the level. Additionally (EU) 231/2012 determines the purity criteria of additives.

Evaluation of Results

Targeted analysis finds only the items sought: a contribution not listed will not appear in the report. Therefore, the analysis list must be established considering the product category and possible adulteration scenarios. Carry-over rules are also part of the evaluation.

Additives Report

Sample description and food category
List of analyzed contributions
Applied methods
Result and determination limit for each contribution
Comparison with label declaration and legislation

Accreditation

EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.

Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Scope and authorisations

Related Regulations

Food Additives Regulation (EC) 1333/2008
Regulation (EU) 231/2012 on Purity Criteria for Additives
Food Information Regulation (EU) 1169/2011

Food Testing — What Does This Testing Field Cover?

The section below describes the field that the Additives test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Food testing shows that a product is safe for consumption and contains what its label states. The family works along three axes: microbiological safety, chemical safety and nutritional composition. All three require different laboratory infrastructure, a different body of methods and a different turnaround time.

The most distinctive feature of the field is TIME PRESSURE. A steel specimen can wait on a shelf; a raw milk or fresh meat sample cannot. The time the sample was taken, the transport temperature and how long it takes to reach the laboratory directly determine the validity of the result. In food microbiology the cold chain record is therefore an inseparable part of the test report.

On the microbiological side there are two different questions and they must not be confused. DETECTION of a pathogen is a qualitative question: is Salmonella present in the sample or not? ENUMERATION of indicator organisms is a quantitative question and an indicator of production hygiene. The absence of a pathogen in a product does not show that hygiene is good; if the total mesophilic aerobic count is high, there is a problem in the process.

On the chemical side, pesticide residues, mycotoxins, heavy metals, additives, veterinary drug residues and process contaminants (acrylamide, furan, PAH) are measured. Multi-residue methods in this area (QuEChERS-based LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS) can screen hundreds of active substances in a single analysis; limits are defined separately for each product–substance pair.

On the composition side, protein, fat, moisture, ash, fibre, sugar profile, fatty acid composition, vitamin and mineral content are determined. These values are the basis of the nutrition declaration on the label and the tolerance ranges are defined in legislation — the difference between the declared value and the measured value must stay within that tolerance.

There is NO CE marking on food, and this shapes how the field works. Conformity is demonstrated through operating a HACCP-based food safety system, complying with labelling rules and not exceeding contaminant, residue and microbiological limits. A test result produces evidence not for a certificate but for a functioning system.

Allergen management carries particular weight. The presence of an undeclared allergen in a product is one of the most frequent causes of food recalls. Analysis here runs together with cleaning validation: it is shown that the line has been cleaned adequately after a production run containing an allergen and that the risk of cross-contamination is under control.

Voluntary schemes have become effectively mandatory in this field. Retail chains require their suppliers to hold a certificate under a GFSI-recognised scheme (BRCGS, IFS, FSSC 22000); without it, getting onto the shelf is practically impossible.

Method groups in this field

Pathogen detection
Detection of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, Cronobacter and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli; culture-based and molecular methods.
Indicator counts
Total mesophilic aerobic count, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms and E. coli, coagulase-positive staphylococci, yeasts and moulds, lactic acid bacteria, sulphite-reducing Clostridia.
Pesticide and veterinary residues
Multi-residue screening by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS with QuEChERS extraction.
Mycotoxins and contaminants
Aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, patulin; heavy metals (ICP-MS), acrylamide and PAH compounds.
Nutritional composition
Kjeldahl protein, fat and fatty acid profile, moisture, ash, dietary fibre, sugar profile, vitamin and mineral analyses.
Allergens and authenticity
Gluten, milk, egg, nut and soy allergen analyses; molecular methods for species identification and adulteration detection.

Commonly confused in this field

Sampling is half the result. A sample transported at the wrong temperature or delayed gives an invalid result even if it is analysed correctly in the laboratory.
The absence of a pathogen does not show that hygiene is good; indicator counts give separate information and the two are read together.
A result from a sample taken from a lot can be generalised to the whole lot only if the sampling plan was set up statistically.
Limits are defined in separate regulations by product group and are updated regularly; a conformity decision based on an outdated limit table may be wrong.
For exports, the limits of the destination country may differ from EU limits; the same product may be compliant in one market and non-compliant in another.

Which decisions these results support

Verification of the HACCP plan and process monitoring
The basis for the nutrition declaration and allergen information on the label
Health certificates before export and compliance with destination market limits
Supplier and lot-based acceptance control
Shelf-life studies and determining storage conditions
Producing evidence for audits under GFSI-recognised schemes

Related Tests

Frequently Asked Questions About Additives

What happens if there is an additive that is not listed on the label?

Two separate non-conformities arise: if the additive is not authorized in that category, there is a direct violation of legislation, and if it is, there is a lack of label declaration. In both cases, corrective action is required.