Food Colouring Compliance in Malaysia: What Brand Owners Must Know
- Admin
- 1 day ago
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Food Colouring Compliance in Malaysia: What Brand Owners Must Know
Food colouring is widely used to enhance the appearance of products, but in Malaysia, its use is strictly regulated under the Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985. Here’s a quick guide for brand owners, manufacturers, and importers.
What Are Food Colourings?
Under the Food Regulations 1985, a colouring substance is defined as:
‘Any substance that, when added to food, is capable of imparting colour to that food and includes colouring preparation.’
This includes natural pigments, synthetic dyes, extracts, and permitted food additives with colouring functions.
Colourings are not intended to provide nutritional value; they must only serve aesthetic or functional purposes.
Only Permitted Colourings Are Allowed
Under Regulation 21, only colourings listed in Table I and II may be used in food products.
Natural Colourings
Example: Caramel, carotene, chlorophyll, annatto, turmeric, etc
Synthetic / Permitted Colourings
Tartrazine (E102), Sunset Yellow (E110), Ponceau 4R (E124), Brilliant Blue (E133)
If a colouring is not listed, it cannot be used.
Colouring Label Requirements
All added colourings must be properly declared on the ingredient list.
You may declare using:
Name of the colouring, or
INS number, if applicable
E-numbers are not allowed on Malaysian food labels.
Example:
Colouring (Tartrazine)
Colouring (INS 102)
Mislabelling or failing to declare colouring is a regulatory violation
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using colourings not approved in Malaysia
Assuming colours allowed overseas are automatically allowed locally
Declaring only “colour added” without specifying the type
Importing finished products using non-permitted colours
Conclusion
Food colouring is a small ingredient with major regulatory risk. Ensuring that colouring is permitted, declared correctly, and food grade is essential for compliance and market safety.
If you need help reviewing your formulation or food label, our team can provide full regulatory checks to ensure your product is compliant before launch.
Aqurate Ingredients is an international player in supplying functional ingredients and providing innovative solutions to the food & beverage, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industry. We believe, a satisfied customer is a repeat customer.
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