21. Colouring substance.

(1) In these Regulations, "colouring substance" means any substance that, when
added to food, is capable of imparting colour to that food and includes colouring
preparation.
(2) The substances specified in Table I and Table II to the Seventh Schedule shall be
the permitted colouring substances within the meaning and for the purposes of
these Regulations.
(3) Notwithstanding subregulation (2), the addition of colouring substance to food is
prohibited except as otherwise permitted by these Regulations.
(3A) For the purposes of this regulation--
(a) "colouring preparation" means a product prepared by admixing one or more
permitted colouring substances with permitted diluents; and
(b) "diluent" means any component of colouring preparation that is not itself a
colouring substance and has been intentionally mixed therein to facilitate the
use of the mixture in colouring foods.
(3B) Colouring preparation shall contain not less than 4 per cent of permitted colouring
substance. Liquid form of colouring preparation may contain benzoic acid as
permitted preservative in proportion not exceeding 400 mg/kg and acidity
regulators as permitted food conditioner.
(3C) Only the substances specified in Table III to the Seventh Schedule shall be the
permitted diluent.
(4) Every package containing colouring substance imported, manufactured or
advertised for sale, or sold or intended to be used for colouring food shall, in
addition to the requirements of subregulation 19(6), be labelled with--
(a) in the case of synthetic dye or colouring preparation containing synthetic dye,
the colour index number specified in relation to the colouring substance in
column (3) of Table I to the Seventh Schedule; and
(b) in the case of colouring preparation, the common name, and the total
percentage proportion, of the colouring substance present in the preparation.
(5) Nothing in this regulation shall prohibit the sale of fish, meat, cheese, egg,
vegetable, fruit, or nut that bear markings which have been applied for the
purpose of identification or grading to the food in its raw or original form, or on a
portion of the food normally eaten, if such markings--
(a) are composed of permitted colouring substance, with or without other
permitted food additives or harmless diluents;
(b) contrast strongly with their background;
(c) do not cover a substantial area of the original surface to which they were
applied; and
(d) have not penetrated the underlying part of the food to any noticeable degree.
[Am. P.U.(A) 162/88]