Welcome to our online database of the International Numbering System for Food Additives (INS). The INS was created by the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (CCFAC). The purpose of the INS is to provide a numerical system for identifying food additives in ingredient lists. The system is based on the numbering scheme used by the European Union.
For additional information about the INS, please consult the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme - Codex Alimentarius Commission web site.
For your browsing convenience, INS additives are organized by the function they perform:
Alters or controls the acidity or alkalinity of a food
Reduces the tendency of particles of food to adhere to one another
Prevents or reduces foaming
Prolongs the shelf-life of foods by protecting against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity and colour changes
A substance, other than air or water, which contributes to the bulk of a food without contributing significantly to its available energy value
Adds or restores colour in a food
Stabilizes, retains or intensifies the colour of a food
Forms or maintains a uniform mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a food
Makes or keeps tissues of fruit or vegetables firm and crisp, or interacts with gelling agents to produce or strengthen a gel
Enhances the existing taste and/or odour of a food
A substance added to flour to improve its baking quality or colour
Makes it possible to form or maintain a uniform dispersion of a gaseous phase in a liquid or solid food
Gives a food texture through formation of a gel
A substance which, when applied to the external surface of a food, imparts a shiny appearance or provides a protective coating
Prevents food from drying out by counteracting the effect of an wetting agent atmosphere having a low degree of humidity
Prolongs the shelf-life of a food by protecting against deterioration caused by microorganisms
A gas, other than air, which expels a food from a container
A substance or combination of substances which liberate gas and thereby increase the volume of a dough
Makes it possible to maintain a uniform dispersion of two or more immiscible substances in a food
A non-sugar substance which imparts a sweet taste to a food
Increases the viscosity of a food
Not currently classified