Thailand Proposes New Amendments to Food Additive Regulation

The proposed draft introduces key changes to the use of food additives in Thailand, covering the addition of new food additives varieties, modification of the maximum usage level in food, expansion and deletion of permitted application scope, as well as removal of existing food additives.

On February 3, 2025, Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consulted on the proposed draft of MOPH Notification Re: Prescribing the Principle, Conditions, Methods, and Proportion of Food Additives (No.4). Any comments can be sent to [email protected] before March 31, 2025.

Thai FDA conducts regular reviews of food additive regulations approximately every two years to align with practical production needs and enhance consumer safety. The latest revision is primarily based on recent safety evaluations and addresses the following aspects:

Addition of new food additives varieties

Newly added food additive	INS No.	Function
Jagua (Genipin–Glycine) Blue	183	Colorant
Potassium Polyaspartate	456	Stabilizer
Spirulina Extract	134	Colorant

Table 1 Food additives newly included

Modification of the maximum usage level in food

Food additive	INS No.	Food category no.	Food category	Usage level (current)	Usage level (proposed)
ALLURA RED AC	129	02.4	Fat-based desserts	300 mg/kg	150 mg/kg
		07.1.2	Crackers, excluding sweet crackers	300 mg/kg	100 mg/kg
		12.5	Soups and broths	300 mg/kg	100 mg/kg
Annatto Extracts, Bixin-Based	160b(i)	01.7	Dairy-based desserts	10 mg/kg	100 mg/kg
		02.1.1	Butter oil, anhydrous milkfat, ghee	10 mg/kg	100 mg/kg
		03.0	Edible ices	10 mg/kg	20 mg/kg

Table 2 Maximum usage changes of food additives (excerpts）

Expansion of permitted application scope

Food additive	INS No.	Expanded food category no.	Expanded food category
Ascorbyl Esters	304/305	13.3	Dietetic foods intended for special medical purposes
Calcium Acetate	263	01.2.1.2	Fermented milks (plain), heat-treated after fermentation
Lactitol	966	11.4	Other sugars and syrups

Table 3 Food additives with expanded scope (excerpts）

Deletion of permitted application scope

Food additive	INS No.	Removed food category no.	Removed food category
Neotame	961	12.2	Herbs, spices, seasonings, and condiments
Ortho-Phenylphenols	231/232	04.1.1.2	Surface-treated fresh fruit
Sucralose	955	12.2.1	Herbs and spices

Table 4 Removed permitted application scope of food additives (excerpts）

Removal of existing food additives varieties

Removed food additive	INS No.	Function
Azodicarbonamide	927a	Flour treatment agent

Table 5 Removed existing food additives

For full details of changes to the use of food additives, please refer to the draft regulation issued by Thai FDA and the unofficial English translation attached in the WTO notification G/SPS/N/THA/782.