S.I. No. 41/1972 - Health (Colouring Matter in Food) Regulations, 1972.

1. The label to which article 12 relates shall be in the following form or in a form substantially to the like effect:—

(

a

) in the case of any colouring matter alone—

FOOD COLOUR

CONTAINS

(X)

(Y)

(

b

) in the base of any compound substance containing colouring matter or a combination of colouring and flavouring matter—

COMPOUND CONTAINING FOOD

COLOUR

(X)

(Y)

The declaration shall in each case be completed by inserting at (X) the common name of the colouring matter present, solely or as an ingredient of any common compound substance, in the container and at (Y) a correct description of any other substance present in the preparation in the container.

2. Two or more substances declared at (Y), pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Schedule, shall appear in the order of the proportion by weight which such substances bear respectively to the total contents of the container at the time of sale by the manufacturer, the substance present in the greatest proportion by weight being specified first.

3. The label prescribed in this Schedule shall be printed distinctly and legibly in dark type upon a light-coloured ground or in light type upon a dark-coloured ground. The type used for labels on containers of quantities of not less than 4 ounces or 4 fluid ounces, as the case may be, shall be not less than one-eight of an inch in height, and the type used for labels on containers of quantities of less than 4 ounces or 4 fluid ounces, as the case may be, shall be not less than one-sixteenth of an inch in height. Every letter of every word shall be of uniform size and colour provided that the initial letter in any word may be larger than the other letters in that word.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Health this

17th day of February, 1972.

ERSKINE H. CHILDERS,

Minister for Health.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations which come into operation on 1st September, 1972, prescribe the colouring matters which may be added to food which is imported, distributed, sold or exposed for sale and limit the use of such colouring matters in or on certain named foods. They regulate the amount of arsenic, lead and copper which may be contained in permitted colouring matters and in diluents combined with such colouring matters. They also prescribe labelling requirements for colouring matters.

The Regulations provide that where a sample of food has been certified not to comply with the Regulations, an authorised officer may seize, remove and detain such food as being food which is unfit for human consumption and, in certain circumstances, destroy it.

The provisions relating to colouring matter in the Public Health (Saorstát Éireann) (Preservatives, etc., in Food) Regulations, 1928 are being revoked on 1st September, 1972 under

S.I. No. 46 of 1972

.

4. ß-apo-8"-Carotenal and the ethyl ester of ß-apo-8"-Carotenoic acid .. .. .

—

—

A standard of purity consistent with good manufacturing practice.

5. Canthaxanthin .. .. .. .. ..

—

—

A standard of purity consistent with good manufacturing practice.

6. Bole or iron oxide .. .. .. ..

—

Number 2

—

7. Carbon black .. .. .. .. ..

—

—

A standard of purity consistent with good manufacturing practice.

8. Charcoal .. .. .. .. ..

—

—

A standard of purity consistent with good manufacturing practice.

9. Titanium dioxide .. .. .. ..

—

—

A standard of purity consistent with good manufacturing practice.

10. Ultramarine .. .. .. .. ..

—

Number 4

—

11. Silver gold or aluminium in leaf or powder form for use solely for the external colouring of dragees and the decoration of sugar coated flour confectionery.

—

—

A standard of purity consistent with good manufacturing practice.

12. The aluminium and calcium salts (lakes) of any water-soluble colour mentioned in this Schedule.

—

—

A standard of purity consistent with good manufacturing practice.

SECOND SCHEDULE.

LABELLING OF COLOURING MATTER AND COLOURING AND FLAVOURING COMPOUNDS.

13. (1) A person shall not advertise for sale for use in food

(

a

) any colouring matter other than a permitted colouring matter;

(

b

) any permitted colouring matter in such a manner as to be likely to lead to its use or sale contrary to these Regulations.

(2) Where a person is charged with a contravention of this article, it shall be a good defence to show that the advertisement was published in such circumstances that he did not know and could not, by the exercise of reasonable care, have known that he was taking part in the publication of such advertisement.

FIRST SCHEDULE.

PERMITTED COLOURING MATTER.

PART I—COAL TAR COLOURS.

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Column 4

Common name of colouring matter

Scientific name of colouring matter

Colour Index Number

Specification

British Standard

"Specifications for Identity and Purity of Food Additives." (Vol. II Food Colors) issued by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Rome, 1963

Other specification or compositional requirement

Amaranth ..

trisodium salt of 1-(4-sulpho-1-naphthy-lazo)-2-naphthol-3 : 6-disulphonic acid.

16185

3341:1961

—

—

Black PN (Brilliant Black BN) ..

tetrasodium salt of 8-acetamido-2-(7-sulpho-4-p-sulphophenylazo-1 -naphthylazo)-1-naphthol-3 : 5-disulphonic acid.

28440

—

Number 41

—

Black 7984 ..

tetrasodium salt of [4 (4-sulpho-1-phenylazo)-7-sulpho-l-naphthylazo]-1-hydroxy-7-

amino-naphthalene-3 : 6-disulphonic acid

—

—

—

Compliance with compositional requirements contained in Part II of this Schedule

Brown FK ..

a mixture consisting essentially of the disodium salt of 1 : 3-diamino-4 : 6-di-(p-sulpho-phenylazo) benzene and the sodium salt of 2 : 4-diamino-5-(p-sulpho-phenylazo) toluene.

—

—

—

A standard of purity consistent with good manufacturing practice.

Carmoisine ..

disodium salt of 2-(4-sulpho-l-naphthylazo)-l-naphthol-4-sulphonic acid.

14720

3343 :1961

—

—

Chocolate Brown FB

the product of coupling diazotised naphthionic acid with a mixture (Colour Index Number 1232) of morin and maclurin

—

—

—

A standard of purity consistent with good manufacturing practice

Chocolate Brown HT

disodium salt of 2 : 4-dihydroxy-3 : 5-di- (4-sulpho-l-naphthylazo) benzyl alcohol.

20285

—

—

A standard of purity consistent with good manufacturing practice

Erythrosine BS

disodium or dipotassium salt of 2 : 4 : 5 : 7-tetraiodofluorescein.

45430

—

Number 25

—

Fast Red E ..

disodium salt of l-(4-sulpho-l-naphthylazo)-2-hydroxynaphthalene-6-sulphonic acid

16045

—

Number 20

—

Green S ..

sodium salt of di-(p-dimethylaminophenyl)-2-hydroxy-3:6-disulphonaphthyl-methanol anhydride.

44090

—

—

A standard for purity consistent with good manufacturing practice

Indigo Carmine (Indigotine)

disodium salt of indigotine-5 : 5"-disulphonic acid

73015

—

Number 38

—

Oil Yellow GG

a mixture of 4-phenylazoresorcinol and 4 : 6-di (phenylazo) resorcinol.

11920

—

—

A standard of purity consistent with good manufacturing practice

Oil Yellow XP

3-methyl-1-phenyl-4-(2:4-xylylazo)-5-pyrazolone

12740

—

—v

A standard of purity consistent with good manufacturing practice

Orange G ..

disodium salt of 1-phenylazo-2-naphthol-6 : 8-disulphonic acid

16230

3612 : 1963

—

—

Orange RN ..

sodium salt of 1-phenylazo-2-naphthol-6-sulphonic acid

15970

—

—

A standard of purity consistent with good manufacturing practice

Ponceau 4R ..

trisodium salt of l-(4-sulpho-l-naphthylazo)-2-naphthol-6 : 8-disulphonic acid

16255

3342 : 1961

—

—

Red 2G ..

disodium salt of 8-acetamido-2-phenylazo-1-naphthol-3 : 6-disulphonic acid

18050

3611 : 1963

—

—

Red 6B ..

disodium salt of 8-acetamido-2-pacetamido phenylazo-l-naphthol-3 : 6-disulphonic acid

18055

3780 : 1964

—

—

Red 10B ..

disodium salt of 8-amino-2-phenylazo-1- naphthol-3 : 6-disulphonic acid

17200

3610 : 1963

—

—

Red FB ..

disodium salt of 2-[4-(l-hydroxy-4-sulpho-2-naphthylazo)-3-sulphophenyl]-6-methyl-benzothiazole

14780

—

—

A standard of purity consistent with good manufacturing practice

Sunset Yellow FCF

disodium salt of 1-p-sulphophenylazo-2-naphthol-6-sulphonic acid

15985

3340 : 1961

—

—

Tartrazine ..

trisodium salt of 5-hydroxy-1-p-sulphophenyl-4-p-sulphophenylazopyrazole-3-carboxylic acid

19140

3211 : 1960

—

—

Violet BNP ..

sodium salt of 4 : 4"-di (dimethylamino)-4" -di-(p-sulphobenzylamino) triphenylmethanol anhydride.

—

—

—

A standard of purity consistent with good manufacturing practice

Yellow 2G ..

disodium salt of 1-(2 : 5-dichloro-4-sulphophenyl) -5-hydroxy-3-methyl-4p-sulphophenylazopyrazole

18965

3614 : 1963

—

—

PART II—COMPOSITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COLOURING MATTER COMMONLY KNOWN AS BLACK 7984.

The colouring matter commonly known as Black 7984 shall comply with the following requirements:—

Inorganic impurities

S.I. No. 41 of 1972.

HEALTH (COLOURING MATTER IN FOOD) REGULATIONS, 1972.

The Minister for Health in exercise of the powers conferred on him by

sections 5

,

54

and

59

of the

Health Act, 1947

(No. 28 of 1947), sub-section (3) of

section 38

of the

Health Act, 1953

(No. 26 of 1953) and

section 6

of the

Health Act, 1970

(No. 1 of 1970) after consultation with the Minister for Industry and Commerce and the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries hereby makes the following Regulations:—

PART I. PRELIMINARY AND GENERAL.