GSFA Online

Food Categories

The Codex GSFA's food category system is hierarchical and applies to all foodstuffs, including those in which no food additives are permitted. The system includes a description of the foods covered by each food category, as well as relevant food additive provisions.

The food categories are not intended for labeling purposes.

Click on a category below to view its description and relevant food additive provisions.

Food categories marked with this symbol may contain one or more subcategories listed in the Annex to Table 3. Table 3 provisions therefore apply only to some, but not all of the subcategories of the indicated category.

Table 3 provisions do not apply to categories marked with this symbol as they are listed in the Annex to Table 3.

Expand All - Click to show the entire food category hierarchy on one page for printing or online reference. Complete list may take a while to download on slower connections.

Collapse All - Click to condenses the food category list, showing only top-level categories. Click "+" to expand the list and view foods under a category.

Food CategoryNumber

Dairy products and analogues, excluding products of category 02.0

01.0

Fats and oils, and fat emulsions

02.0

Edible ices, including sherbet and sorbet

03.0

Fruits and vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweeds, and nuts and seeds

04.0

Confectionery

05.0

Cereals and cereal products, derived from cereal grains, from roots and tubers, pulses, legumes and pith or soft core of palm tree, excluding bakery wares of food category 07.0

06.0

Whole, broken, or flaked grain, including rice

06.1

Flours and starches (including soybean powder)

06.2

Flours

06.2.1

Starches

06.2.2

Breakfast cereals, including rolled oats

06.3

Pastas and noodles and like products (e.g., rice paper, rice vermicelli, soybean pastas and noodles)

06.4

Fresh pastas and noodles and like products

06.4.1

Dried pastas and noodles and like products

06.4.2

Pre-cooked pastas and noodles and like products

06.4.3

Cereal and starch based desserts (e.g. rice pudding, tapioca pudding)

06.5

Batters (e.g. for breading or batters for fish or poultry)

06.6

Pre-cooked or processed rice products, including rice cakes (Oriental type only)

06.7

Soybean products (excluding soybean-based seasonings and condiments of food category 12.9)

06.8

Soybean-based beverages

06.8.1

Soybean-based beverage film

06.8.2

Soybean curd (tofu)

06.8.3

Semi-dehydrated soybean curd

06.8.4

Thick gravy-stewed semi-dehydrated soybean curd

06.8.4.1

Deep fried semi-dehydrated soybean curd

06.8.4.2

Semi-dehydrated soybean curd, other than food categories 06.8.4.1 and 06.8.4.2

06.8.4.3

Dehydrated soybean curd (kori tofu)

06.8.5

Fermented soybeans (e.g. natto, tempe)

06.8.6

Fermented soybean curd

06.8.7

Other soybean protein products

06.8.8

Bakery wares

07.0

Meat and meat products, including poultry and game

08.0

Fish and fish products, including mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms

09.0

Eggs and egg products

10.0

Sweeteners, including honey

11.0

Salts, spices, soups, sauces, salads, protein products

12.0

Foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses

13.0

Beverages, excluding dairy products

14.0

Ready-to-eat savouries

15.0

Prepared foods

16.0

 printer-friendly version

GSFA Home Food Categories Food Additives Search Functional Classes Glossary

© FAO and WHO 2024