Schedule 14 Technological purposes performed by substances used as food additives
Note 1 This instrument is a standard under the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 (Cth). The standards together make up the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. See also section 1.1.1—3.
Substances used as food additives and substances used as processing aids are regulated by Standard 1.1.1, Standard 1.3.1 and Standard 1.3.3. This Standard lists technological purposes for paragraph 1.1.2—11(1)(b) (definition of used as a food additive) and paragraph 1.1.2—13(1)(c) and subparagraph 1.1.2—13(2)(a)(iii) (definition of used as a processing aid).
Note 2 The provisions of the Code that apply in New Zealand are incorporated in, or adopted under, the Food Act 2014 (NZ). See also section 1.1.1—3.
This Standard is Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Schedule 14 – Technological purposes performed by substances used as food additives.
Note Commencement:
This Standard commences on 1 March 2016, being the date specified as the commencement date in notices in the Gazette and the New Zealand Gazette under section 92 of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 (Cth). See also section 93 of that Act.
The technological purposes performed by substances used as food additives are set out in the table.
Technological purposes
Purpose | Sub-classes | Definition |
Acidity regulator | acid, alkali, base, buffer, buffering agent, pH adjusting agent | alters or controls the acidity or alkalinity of a food |
Anti-caking agent | anti-caking agent, anti-stick agent, drying agent, dusting powder | reduces the tendency of individual food particles to adhere or improves flow characteristics |
Antioxidant | antioxidant, antioxidant synergist | retards or prevents the oxidative deterioration of a food |
Bulking agent | bulking agent, filler | contributes to the volume of a food without contributing significantly to its available energy |
Colouring |
| adds or restores colour to foods |
Colour fixative | colour fixative, colour stabiliser | stabilises, retains or intensifies an existing colour of a food |
Emulsifier | emulsifier, emulsifying salt, plasticiser, dispersing agent, surface active agent, surfactant, wetting agent | facilitates the formation or maintenance of an emulsion between two or more immiscible phases |
Firming agent |
| contributes to firmness of food or interacts with gelling agents to produce or strengthen a gel |
Flavour enhancer | flavour enhancer, flavour modifier, tenderiser | enhances the existing taste or odour of a food |
Flavouring (excluding herbs and spices and intense sweeteners) |
| intense preparations which are added to foods to impart taste or odour, which are used in small amounts and are not intended to be consumed alone, but do not include herbs, spices and substances which have an exclusively sweet, sour or salt taste |
Foaming agent | whipping agent, aerating agent | facilitates the formation of a homogeneous dispersion of a gaseous phase in a liquid or solid food |
Gelling agent |
| modifies food texture through gel formation |
Glazing agent | coating, sealing agent, polish | imparts a coating to the external surface of a food |
Humectant | moisture/water retention agent, wetting agent | retards moisture loss from food or promotes the dissolution of a solid in an aqueous medium |
Intense sweetener |
| replaces the sweetness normally provided by sugars in foods without contributing significantly to their available energy |
Preservative | antimicrobial preservative, antimycotic agent, bacteriophage control agent, chemosterilant, disinfection agent | retards or prevents the deterioration of a food by micro organisms |
Propellant |
| gas, other than air, which expels a food from a container |
Raising agent |
| liberates gas and thereby increases the volume of a food |
Sequestrant |
| forms chemical complexes with metallic ions |
Stabiliser | binder, firming agent, water binding agent, foam stabiliser | maintains the homogeneous dispersion of two or more immiscible substances in a food |
Thickener | thickening agent, texturiser, bodying agent | increases the viscosity of a food |
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Amendment History
The Amendment History provides information about each amendment to the Standard. The information includes commencement or cessation information for relevant amendments.
These amendments are made under section 92 of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 unless otherwise indicated. Amendments do not have a specific date for cessation unless indicated as such.
About this compilation
This is compilation No. 2 of Schedule 14 as in force on 19 July 2023 (up to Amendment No. 220). It includes any commenced amendment affecting the compilation to that date.
Prepared by Food Standards Australia New Zealand on 19 July 2023.
Uncommenced amendments or provisions ceasing to have effect
To assist stakeholders, the effect of any uncommenced amendments or provisions which will cease to have effect, may be reflected in the Standard as shaded boxed text with the relevant commencement or cessation date. These amendments will be reflected in a compilation registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments including or omitting those amendments and provided in the Amendment History once the date is passed.
The following abbreviations may be used in the table below:
ad = added or inserted am = amended
exp = expired or ceased to have effect rep = repealed
rs = repealed and substituted
Schedule 14 was published in the Food Standards Gazette No. FSC96 on 10 April 2015 as part of Amendment 154 (F2015L00436 –- 2 April 2015) and has since been amended as follows:
Section affected | A’ment No. | FRLI registration Gazette | Commencement (Cessation) | How affected | Description of amendment |
table to S14—2 | 157 | F2015L01374 1 Sept 2015 FSC99 3 Sept 2015
| 1 March 2016
| am | Correction of typographical errors in the table under the definitions for ‘firming agent’ and ‘raising agent’. |
Table to S14—2 | 220 | F2023L01004 11 July 2023 FSC160 19 July 2023 | 19 July 2023 | rs | Omit and substitute typographical error |