Banned Food Additives in Europe
Which food additives are banned in Europe?
There is no single "banned list" in the EU. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 is a positive list: only additives in the Union list in Annex II may be placed on the market as such and used in foods, under the conditions of use set there [1]. Anything not listed is therefore not permitted. When people talk about additives "banned in Europe", they usually mean ones the EU has taken off that list or deliberately left off it. Those are below.
Approach: I searched Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives: the base act, all its amending acts, and the consolidated text dated 18 February 2026. Member-state measures and the purity specifications in Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 are not covered here.
Additives removed from, or never placed on, the Union list
| E-number | Additive | Instrument | Reason given |
|---|---|---|---|
| E 128 | Red 2G | Reg. 1129/2011, recital 15 | Its use as a food colour had already been suspended by emergency Regulation (EC) No 884/2007, so it was not included in the Union list [2] |
| E 154 | Brown FK | Reg. 1129/2011, recital 16 | No longer used, and EFSA could not conclude on its safety [3] |
| E 160f | Ethyl ester of beta-apo-8'-carotenoic acid | Reg. 1129/2011, recital 13 | No longer offered by the manufacturer, and nobody supported its re-evaluation [4] |
| E 556, E 559 | Calcium aluminium silicate; aluminium silicate (kaolin) | Reg. 380/2012, recital 11 | Aluminium-containing, and other additives can replace them [5] |
| E 558 | Bentonite | Reg. 380/2012, recital 10 | Aluminium-containing carrier that is no longer used [6] |
| E 912 | Montan acid esters | Reg. 2014/957, recital 12 | No recent scientific evidence, so keeping it on the list could not be justified [7] |
| E 203 | Calcium sorbate | Reg. 2018/98, recital 12 | No appropriate genotoxicity data [8] |
| E 311, E 312 | Octyl gallate; dodecyl gallate | Reg. 2018/1481, recital 13 | No appropriate toxicological data [9] |
| E 160b (old entry) | Annatto, bixin, norbixin | Reg. 2020/771, recitals 18-19 | The old three extracts could not be safety-assessed. The entry was replaced by two new additives, E 160b(i) and E 160b(ii) [10][11] |
| E 171 | Titanium dioxide | Reg. 2022/63, recitals 11-12 | EFSA could not rule out a genotoxicity concern and concluded it can no longer be considered safe as a food additive, so it "may no longer be used in foods" [12][13] |
| E 483 | Stearyl tartrate | Reg. 2023/2379, recital 8 | No appropriate toxicological data [14] |
Two further points from the current consolidated list:
- E 216 and E 217 (propyl parabens) are absent. The preservatives section lists only E 214, E 215, E 218 and E 219 [15]. I did not find the act that explains their removal.
- E 128, E 154, E 160f, E 203, E 311 and E 312 are also confirmed absent from the list as it stands today [15].
Exceptions that change the picture
- E 171 is still on the list, but only for medicines. It remains in Part B, flagged as not authorised in any food category. It is kept because it is used as a colour in medicinal products [15]. The Commission said it would review this medicines use within three years, based on an updated EMA assessment [16]. Foods made under the old rules had a six-month transition and could then be sold until their date of minimum durability or "use by" date [17].
- E 161g (canthaxanthin) is in the same position: on the list for medicinal products only, not authorised in foods [15].
- Some additives are banned only in infant foods. They stay authorised for other foods.
- E 466 (sodium carboxy methyl cellulose, cellulose gum): authorisation withdrawn in food categories 13.1.5.1 and 13.1.5.2, the infant and young-child categories (Reg. 2025/666) [18]. The withdrawal applies from 27 April 2027 [19].
- E 412 (guar gum): authorisation withdrawn in categories 13.1.1, 13.1.5.1 and 13.1.5.2 (Reg. 2026/196) [20]. The withdrawal is deferred by six months, and for 13.1.5.2 until 27 April 2027 [19].
- Tartrates (E 334-337, E 354): authorisations were withdrawn in food categories where no use data were submitted (Reg. 2024/1451) [21].
I can next check the specifications for any of these additives under Regulation (EU) No 231/2012, or compare the EU position with another jurisdiction such as the US or GB.
Are food dyes like Red 40 banned there too?
No. Red 40 is not banned in the EU. It is Allura Red AC, which the EU calls E 129 [22], and it stays on the Union list of colours in Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 [15]. Two things limit it: it may only be used in specific food categories up to set maximum levels, and foods containing it must carry a warning about effects on children.
Approach: I searched Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 (the consolidated text of 18 February 2026 and its amending acts). To match US dye names to EU E-numbers I used the FSANZ (Australia/New Zealand) table of food additives, which lists US and EU permissions side by side.
How E 129 is controlled in the EU
1. Only in listed foods, up to a maximum level. Like any additive on the positive list, it can only be used where Annex II Part E allows it. E 129 has its own entries for these foods:
- Preserves of red fruit, up to 200 (combined limit with E 120, E 122, E 131, E 133) [23]
- Precooked crustaceans, up to 250 [24]
- Luncheon meat, up to 25 [25]
- Certain breakfast sausages and burger meat, up to 25 [26]
- Health marking on fresh meat, quantum satis [27]
- Bitter vino and bitter soda, up to 100 [28][29]
It is also one of the Group III "food colours with combined maximum limit" in Annex II Part C [30]. That means it can also be used in every food category where Group III is authorised, within the shared limit for the group. Examples are 150 in flavoured creams [31] and 100 in savoury-coated nuts [1].
2. Mandatory warning label. Under Article 24, foods containing a colour listed in Annex V must carry extra labelling [32]. Annex V lists Allura red (E 129) together with Sunset yellow (E 110), Quinoline yellow (E 104), Carmoisine (E 122), Tartrazine (E 102) and Ponceau 4R (E 124). The required wording is: "'name or E number of the colour(s)': may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." Two kinds of food are exempt [33]:
- foods where the colour is used for health or other marking on meat, or for stamping or decorating eggshells
- beverages with more than 1.2% alcohol by volume
Other US-named dyes
| US name | EU E-number | EU status |
|---|---|---|
| FD&C Red No. 40 | E 129 Allura Red AC | Authorised; Group III; Annex V warning |
| FD&C Yellow No. 5 | E 102 Tartrazine | Authorised; Group III; Annex V warning [34][30] |
| FD&C Yellow No. 6 | E 110 Sunset Yellow FCF | Authorised; Annex V warning [35][33] |
| FD&C Blue No. 1 / No. 2 | E 133 / E 132 | Authorised; Group III [36][37][30] |
| FD&C Red No. 3 | E 127 Erythrosine | Authorised only in cocktail, candied and bigarreaux cherries (150-200) [38][39][40] |
In some cases the EU is less strict than the US. The FSANZ table marks FD&C Red No. 2 (E 123 Amaranth) as banned in the US [41], yet E 123 is still on the EU colours list [15].
The EU restrictions I found on these colours are narrower than a ban. Regulation (EU) No 232/2012 changed the conditions of use for E 104, E 110 and E 124 after EFSA re-evaluated them; for E 124, EFSA lowered the acceptable daily intake (ADI) from 4 to 0.7 mg/kg bw/day [42]. Colours are also not allowed in vodka [43].
I can list every food category where Group III colours are authorised, with their maximum levels, if that would help.
What about the UK, is E171 still allowed?
In Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales), yes: E 171 is still an approved food additive. In Northern Ireland, no. The GB approved-additives list includes E 171 under Colours with the note "Titanium dioxide; not permitted for use in Northern Ireland" [44]. So the UK is split.
Approach: I checked the GB approved food additives and E-numbers list and the EU Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 history. I then opened the official GOV.UK guidance page and the UK Committee on Mutagenicity statement to see the legal basis and the scientific position.
Why the UK is split
-
Great Britain applies the assimilated (retained) Regulation 1333/2008. The EU's withdrawal of E 171, Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/63, came after Brexit and was not adopted into GB law. That is why E 171 is still on the GB list (GOV.UK, Approved additives and E numbers).
-
Northern Ireland still applies EU Regulation 1333/2008 as amended by Regulation (EU) 2022/63. GOV.UK states that "as of 7 February 2022, titanium dioxide (TiO2 - E171) is no longer permitted for use as a food additive in the manufacturing of food products in Northern Ireland". The same page says:
- there was a six-month transition period that ended on 7 August 2022
- foods already on the market could stay there until their date of minimum durability or "use by" date
- GB-authorised goods containing TiO2 can be moved into Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS) (GOV.UK page, published 25 June 2026).
The EU-side timing matches what I found in Regulation 2022/63 earlier [17].
The UK scientific position
The UK's advisory committees reached a different view from EFSA's 2021 conclusion. In a statement published on 11 October 2024, the Committee on Mutagenicity (COM) found "little evidence that TiO2 nanoparticles are genotoxic in vitro". It also found little evidence of concern from in vivo genotoxicity via oral exposure, particularly for micro-sized particles. However, it noted that without good, standardised studies on actual E 171 material, "a definitive assessment of the safety of food grade E171 is difficult" (GOV.UK, COM statement on TiO2 genotoxicity). I couldn't open the Committee on Toxicity's (COT) final statement on E 171, so I am not quoting its conclusion here.
The GB list I checked is a quick-reference list of E-numbers. It does not set out the food categories or maximum levels where E 171 may be used in GB. I can look those up in the assimilated GB text next, or check the other colours that differ between GB and the EU.