UK Food Additives (pre-1973)

Last updated: 3 April, 2019

Historical Development of Legal Controls (1925-2000)

Part 1 - Early controls before the UK joined the Common Market in 1973

This page provides, in reverse chronological order, access to many of the main UK regulations on food additives between 1925 and 1970 as well as some supporting documents. The links provide access to only those for England and Wales - for Scotland and Northern Ireland, separate controls were issued from the mid-1950s.

Note: Although the legal requirements for food additives were primarily contained in the controls listed below, there were numerous additional requirements for specific foods or food categories that were imposed in other specific regulations. Those additionl regulations are not included here.

For an overview of the developments, see the introductory page:
Historical Development of Legal Controls (1925-2000) - Summary

For more recent controls, see Part 2

1970

• Colouring Matter in Food (Amendment) Regulations 1970 (SI 1970 No 1102)
  Removed Ponceau MX from the list of permitted colours.
• Emulsifiers and Stabilisers in Food (Amendment) Regulations 1970 (SI 1970 No 1101)

1969

• Artificial Sweeteners in Food Regulations 1969 (SI 1969 No 1817)

1967

• Artificial Sweeteners in Food Regulations 1967 (SI 1967 No 1119)
  Replaced the Artficial Sweeteners in Food Order 1953 (SI 1953 No 1311) and the Food Standards (Saccharin Tablets) Order 1953 (SI 1953 No 1310)
  See also: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Letter - July 1967

1966

• Antioxidant in Food Regulations 1966 (SI 1966 No 1500)
• Colouring Matter in Food Regulations 1966 (SI 1966 No 1203)

1964

• Soft Drinks Regulations 1964 (SI 1964 No 760)
  Included in this list since these Regulations permitted the use of cyclamates in certain soft drinks for the first time (in addition to saccharin).

1962

• Preservatives in Food Regulations 1962 (SI 1962 No 1532)
  Replaced the Public Health (Preservatives, etc., in Food) Regulations 1925 (SR&O 1925 No 775)
• Emulsifiers and Stabilisers in Food Regulations 1962 (SI 1962 No 720)
  Introduction of specific controls on emulsifiers and stabilisers and removes them from the previous conteols applied by the Public Health (Preservatives, etc., in Food) Regulations 1925 (SR&O 1925 No 775)

1958

• Public Health (Preservatives, etc., in Food) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 1958 (SI 1958 No 2167)
  Provide for the sale and importation of apples, pears, pineapples, peaches and melons and articles of food containing any such fruit, which contain ortho-phenylphenol within prescibred limits.
  See also: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Letter - December 1958
• Antioxidant in Food Regulations 1958 (SI 1958 No 1454)
  Introduction of specific controls on antioxidants.
  See also: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Letter - September 1958
• Public Health (Preservatives, etc., in Food) (Amendment) Regulations 1958 (SI 1958 No 1319)
  Provide for the sale and importation of citrus fruit which contains diphenyl or ortho-phenylphenol or mixtures of these substances within prescibred limits.

1957

• Colouring Matter in Food Regulations 1957 (SI 1957 No 1066)
  Introduction of specific controls on colours. The controls replace the provisions of the Public Health (Preservatives, etc., in Food) Regulations 1925 (SR&O 1925 No 775) as amended relating to colouring matter in food.

1953

• Public Health (Preservatives, etc., in Food) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 1953 (SI 1953 No 1820)
  See also: Ministry of Food Letter - January 1954
• Public Health (Preservatives, etc., in Food) (Amendment) Regulations 1953 (SI 1953 No 1610)
  Adjusts some aspects of the controls on preservatives.
• Artficial Sweeteners in Food Order 1953 (SI 1953 No 1311)
  Not currently available on this site.
• Food Standards (Saccharin Tablets) Order 1953 (SI 1953 No 1310)
  Not currently available on this site.

1948

• Public Health (Preservatives, etc., in Food) (Amendment) Regulations 1948 (SI 1948 No 1228)
  Not currently available on this site.

1943

• General Licence under the Saccharin (Control and Maximum Prices) Order 1942, 1943 (SR&O 1943 No 784)
• Order amending the Saccharin (Control and Maximum Prices) Order 1942, 1943 (SR&O 1943 No 669)

1942

• Saccharin (Control and Maximum Prices) Order 1942 (SR&O 1942 No 2455)
• General Licence under the Saccharin (Control and Maximum Prices) Order 1941, 1942 (SR&O 1942 No 1773)
• Order amending the Saccharin (Control and Maximum Prices) Order 1941, 1942 (SR&O 1942 No 1106)
• Order Amending the Bacon (Addition of Borax) Order 1940, 1942 (SR&O 1942 No 910)
• Order Amending the Bacon (Addition of Borax) Order 1940, 1942 (SR&O 1942 No 274)
• Order Amending the Saccharin (Control and Maximum Prices) Order 1941, 1942 (SR&O 1942 No 174)

1941

• Saccharin (Control and Maximum Prices) Order 1941 (SR&O 1941 No 2129)
• Meat (Addition of Preservative) Order 1941 (SR&O 1941 No 1395)
• Order Amending the Bacon (Addition of Borax) Order 1940, 1941 (SR&O 1941 No 1169)

1940

• Public Health (Preservatives, etc., in Food) Amendment Regulations 1940 (SR&O 1940 No 633)
  Not currently available on this site.
• Margarine (Addition of Borax) Order 1940 (SR&O 1940 No 982)
  Permits the use of borax in margarine when licenced by the Minister of Health.
• Bacon (Addition of Borax) Order 1940 (SR&O 1940 No 547)
  Permits the use of borax in bacon when licenced by the Minister of Health.
  See also: Ministry of Health Letter - April 1940

1927

• Public Health (Preservatives, etc., in Food) Amendment Regulations 1927 (SR&O 1927 No 577)
  Not currently available on this site.

1926

• Public Health (Preservatives, etc., in Food) Amendment Regulations 1926 (SR&O 1926 No 1557)
  See also: Ministry of Health Letter - December 1926

1925

• Public Health (Preservatives, etc., in Food) Regulations 1925 (SR&O 1925 No 775)
  See also: Ministry of Health Letter - August 1925

Page first provided: 3 April 2019