Flavourings
Flavourings are added to foods to introduce a specific taste and / or aroma or they can be used to improve the existing taste or aroma of the foodstuff.
Available standard methods
There are 6 categories of flavourings defined in legislation, more details are provided on the Food Standards Agency website here. These are:
Flavouring substances
Flavouring preparations
Thermal process flavourings
Smoke flavouring
Flavour precursors
Other flavourings
Legislation
All flavouring substances and ‘other flavourings’ require approval prior to use. Flavourings and all of the constituents of a flavouring mixture must be safe under general food law. Some flavourings must be authorised for use in food in Great Britain and must undergo a safety evaluation before they are authorised. The authorisation procedure for food additives, food enzymes and food flavourings is set out in assimilated legislation. For the UK the authorisation process is described at https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/regulated-products/flavourings-guidance
Recent changes to the authorisation process
The regulatory process was updated from 1 April 2025 when a new Great Britain (GB)-wide, statutory instrument (SI) introduced two reforms to the market authorisation process for regulated products:
It removed the requirement for the periodic renewal of authorisations that existed for some regulated products including smoke flavourings; and
It enables authorisations to come into effect following ministerial decision, and be published in an official register or list, rather than being prescribed by a SI.
Register of flavourings Assimilated Regulation (EU) 1334/2008 is the legal basis for the authorisation of flavourings. The FSA maintains the register of the authorisation status of flavourings as determined by the appropriate authority (ministers) in England, Scotland and Wales. The register of flavourings sets out a list of flavourings permitted for use in GB and provides references to their terms of authorisation.
Resources
Applications for new authorisations must be made using the FSA regulated products application portal.
Details of the information required and a link to detailed guidance from EFSA are available on the FSA Flavourings authorisation guidance website.