Organic food and additives

For a food to be classified as organic in the EU, at least 95% of the ingredients must have been produced without proscribed pesticides, fertilisers or additives.

In addition, when a farm has moved over to organic farming, its crops can only be classified as organic two years after proscribed treatments were last used on the farm, and three years if the crops are perennials. There is also a second category of organic food, where at least 70% of the ingredients are organic, and these can be labelled ‘made with x% organic or organically produced ingredients’.

It may seem a little surprising that only 95% of the ingredients must be organic. The reason for this is simple – some non-organic ingredients, including additives, are so essential that they are permitted in organic food. The non-organic ingredients that are allowed are:

  • Non-organic additives, yeasts and minerals
  • Processing aids, such as releasing oils and flushing gases
  • Agricultural ingredients.

A total of 45 additives are permitted in organic foods, and these are listed below. One of the most important of these is sulfur dioxide, E220. Wine contains sulfur dioxide as a preservative, whether or not it is classified as organic. It acts as a preservative, antioxidant and bleaching agent, and there is no adequate alternative. Organic wine also contains the clarifying agents bentonite (E558) and kaolin (E559), both of which are naturally occurring clays.

Click for further information about the European regulations on organic food.

 

List of additives currently permitted in organic food within the EU

  1. E 153: Vegetable carbon
  2. E 160b: Annatto, Bixin, Norbixin
  3. E 170: Calcium carbonate
  4. E 220: Sulphur dioxide or E 224: Potassium metabisulphite
  5. E 250: Sodium nitrate or E 252: Potassium nitrate
  6. E 270: Lactic acid
  7. E 290: Carbon dioxide
  8. E 296: Malic acid
  9. E 300: Ascorbic acid
  10. E 301: Sodium ascorbate
  11. E 306: Tocopherol-rich extract
  12. E 322: Lecithins
  13. E 325: Sodium lactate
  14. E 330: Citric acid
  15. E 331: Sodium citrates
  16. E 333: Calcium citrates
  17. E 334: Tartaric acid (L(+)–)
  18. E 335: Sodium tartrates
  19. E 336: Potassium tartrates
  20. E 341(i): Monocalcium phosphate
  21. E 400: Alginic acid
  22. E 401: Sodium alginate
  23. E 402: Potassium alginate
  24. E 406: Agar
  25. E 407: Carrageenan
  26. E 410: Locust bean gum
  27. E 412: Guar gum
  28. E 414: Arabic gum
  29. E 415: Xanthan gum
  30. E 422: Glycerol
  31. E 440(i): Pectin
  32. E 464: Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose
  33. E 500: Sodium carbonates
  34. E 501: Potassium carbonates
  35. E 503: Ammonium carbonates
  36. E 504: Magnesium carbonates
  37. E 509: Calcium chloride
  38. E 516: Calcium sulphate
  39. E 524: Sodium hydroxide
  40. E 551: Silicon dioxide
  41. E 553b: Talc
  42. E 938: Argon
  43. E 939: Helium
  44. E 941: Nitrogen
  45. E 948: Oxygen