If you want to know more about a particular food or drink additive look at the ingredient list on the label. There you will find either the additive’s name or number, and its function. You can use this information to gain a better understanding of what is in the food and drinks you consume - and make an informed choice about the products you buy.
Labels are required by law to inform us about the presence of all ingredient categories in food and the Food Standards Code requires food labels to list all ingredient categories in descending order of proportion by weight. Certain ingredient types (eg. flavours) can be grouped as one and are not required to be listed in descending order. Food additive numbers replace long and complex names on labels and are based on an international system used to identify food additives.
To learn more about food additives and how to identify additive numbers visit the
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) website.
