Color additives, food labeling regulation

Additional regulations that provide specific requirements for color additives in foods are found in other parts of the CFR. Labeling of food products is found at 21 CFR 101.22(k). Color additives are sometimes called artificial colors or artificial colorings [21 CFR 101.22(a) (4)]. From a regulatory standpoint, a colorant is a dye or pigment used in a food contact material such as a polymer that does not migrate to food. Such materials are regulated as food additives [21 CFR 178.3297(a)], not as color additives. ... 

In the US, a request to authorize a new food additive is presented to the FDA. A petition for an additive or a colorant must include data pertaining to the toxicity of the additive accompanied by toxicological tests on animals and even on humans. To evaluate whether an additive should be approved, the agency first considers the composition and attributes of the substance, the probable amount that will be ingested, the possible long-term effects on consumers and various additional safety factors. If the additive is approved, the FDA publishes regulations that may include the types of foods in which it can be used, the maximum quantities that can be added, and how it should be identified in the food labels. 

Color Colorants used in dentifrices are regulated by the Food and Dmg Administration. They are FD C (food, drug, and cosmetic) or D C (drug and cosmetic). The FDA lists new color additives in the Code of Federal Regulations. A certification program for batches of color additives is conducted before a color additive can be used. The FDA also monitors product labeling (6). Colors are also regulated in other countries In the European... 

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