Food Additive Rules by Country: How to Check Taiwan, US, EU and China Standards, and What Your Spec Sheet Needs

Quick Answer

There is no single global list of food additives. Taiwan uses the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Standards for Scope, Application and Limitation of Food Additives; the US uses FDA rules in 21 CFR and the approved color additive lists; the EU uses Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 and E numbers; China uses GB 2760-2024 (in force since 8 February 2025). An additive that is legal in the exporting country may not be allowed in yours, so compare your supplier’s full ingredient and additive spec sheet item by item.

Additive Rules in Four Regions

Region	Main rules	Key points
Taiwan	Standards for Scope, Application and Limitation of Food Additives (Ministry of Health and Welfare)	Permitted additives and limits by food category; violations can be fined NT$30,000 to NT$3 million under Article 47 of the Food Safety and Sanitation Act
United States	FDA 21 CFR (food additives, color additives), GRAS	Colors must be on FDA’s approved lists; some synthetic colors require FDA batch certification
European Union	Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008	Approved additives carry E numbers, with permitted food categories and limits
China	GB 2760-2024 Standard for the Use of Food Additives	Published February 2024 and in force since 8 February 2025, replacing the 2014 edition and changing the scope of several additives

Colors Are the Most Common Difference

A peer-reviewed comparison found that about 30 colors are approved in both the EU and the US. However, US-approved colors such as Orange B, Citrus Red No. 2 and Fast Green FCF are not approved in the EU, while the EU approves 16 colors that the US does not. Check colors carefully for brightly colored jams, pearls, syrups and powders.

Additives to Check in Bubble Tea Ingredients

Ingredient	Common items to check
Tapioca pearls	Colors (such as caramel color), preservatives, texture improvers
Jams, fruit jams, syrups	Preservatives, colors, flavorings, acidity regulators
Non-dairy creamer	Emulsifiers, stabilizers, allergens (milk)
Popping boba, crystal boba	Gelling agents, colors, preservatives

Actual additives depend on each product’s spec sheet, and the same product may need a different formula for different countries.

What a Useful Spec Sheet Includes

Ingredients in descending order by weight, including additives.
Additives by official name and international number (INS or EU E number) for easy comparison.
Allergens such as milk, soy and gluten, following your country’s allergen rules.
Function and amount, for example the type and level of preservatives and colors.
Matching test reports: see how to read a COA.

How Tang Sugar Helps

We provide ingredient specs and test documents for your target market and can help check whether a formula fits local rules. See the full supplier document checklist or contact us.

Note: this is general purchasing guidance, not legal advice. Regulations change, so check the latest notices from the authorities in your importing country.