THE SAFETY AND REGULATORY STATUS OF FOOD, DRUG AND COSMETICS COLOR ADDITIVES EXEMPT FROM CERTIFICATION

Colour additives exempt from certification (also known as 'natural col our additives') are commonly used in the;united States to colour foods , drugs and cosmetics. The US Food and Drug Administration established regulations governing the use of these colour additives, and the labe lling of the products that contain them. The safety of these colour ad ditives has been demonstrated by safety testing programs that have yie lded a significant amount of toxicology data, and also by a long and w ell documented history of safe use in the United States and elsewhere. In this report we review the data supporting the safety of the colour additives that are exempt from certification and approved for use in the USA, and conclude that the safety of these colour additives is wel l supported by the available data. Relevant aspects of the regulation of these colour additives are also described.