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Updated up to the 42nd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (2019)

Food Category Details

Food Category Hierarchy

Fermented vegetable (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera) and seaweed products, excluding fermented soybean products of food categories 06.8.6, 06.8.7, 12.9.1, 12.9.2.1 and 12.9.2.3 (04.2.2.7)

Description:
Fermented vegetables are a type of pickled product, formed by the action of lactic acid bacteria, usually in the presence of salt. 1 Traditional Oriental fermented vegetable products are prepared by air-drying vegetables and exposing them to ambient temperatures so as to allow the microorganisms to flourish; the vegetables are then sealed in an anaerobic environment and salt (to generate lactic acid), spices and seasonings are added.2 Examples include: red pepper paste, fermented vegetable products (some tsukemono other than category 04.2.2.3), kimchi (fermented Chinese cabbage and vegetable preparation), and sauerkraut (fermented cabbage). Excludes fermented soybean products that are found in food categories 06.8.6 (Fermented soybeans (e.g., natto and tempe)), 06.8.7 (Fermented soybean curd), 12.9.1 (Fermented soybean paste e.g., miso), 12.9.2.1 (Fermented soybean sauce), and 12.9.2.3 (Other soybean sauce).

This page provides information on the food additive provisions that are acceptable for use in foods conforming to the food category.

This food category is listed in the Annex to Table 3. Unless specifically indicated below, food additive provisions implied by Table 3 do not automatically apply to this category.

GSFA Provisions for Food Category 04.2.2.7
INS No. Food Additive or Group Max Level Notes Defined In
950 Acesulfame potassium 1,000 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
260 Acetic acid, glacial GMP 04.2.2.7
400 Alginic acid GMP 04.2.2.7
300 Ascorbic acid, L- GMP 04.2.2.7
951 Aspartame 2,500 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
BENZOATES 1,000 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
133 Brilliant blue FCF 100 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
CAROTENOIDS 50 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
CHLOROPHYLLS AND CHLOROPHYLLINS, COPPER COMPLEXES 100 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
634 Calcium 5'-ribonucleotides GMP 04.2.2.7
170(i) Calcium carbonate GMP 04.2.2.7
509 Calcium chloride GMP 04.2.2.7
327 Calcium lactate 10,000 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
150c Caramel III - ammonia caramel 50,000 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
150d Caramel IV - sulfite ammonia caramel 50,000 mg/kg 04.2.2
160a(ii) beta-Carotenes, vegetable 1,000 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
407 Carrageenan GMP 04.2.2.7
330 Citric acid GMP 04.2.2.7
472c Citric and fatty acid esters of glycerol GMP 04.2.2.7
1400 Dextrins, roasted starch GMP 04.2.2.7
472e Diacetyltartaric and fatty acid esters of glycerol 2,500 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
627 Disodium 5'-guanylate GMP 04.2.2.7
631 Disodium 5'-inosinate GMP 04.2.2.7
635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotides GMP 04.2.2.7
ETHYLENE DIAMINE TETRA ACETATES 250 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
127 Erythrosine 30 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
143 Fast green FCF 100 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
297 Fumaric acid GMP 04.2.2.7
422 Glycerol GMP 04.2.2.7
163(ii) Grape skin extract 100 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
412 Guar gum GMP 04.2.2.7
HYDROXYBENZOATES, PARA- 300 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
132 Indigotine (Indigo carmine) 300 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
270 Lactic acid, L-, D- and DL- GMP 04.2.2.7
322(i) Lecithin GMP 04.2.2.7
504(i) Magnesium carbonate 5,000 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
296 Malic acid, DL- GMP 04.2.2.7
621 Monosodium L-glutamate GMP 04.2.2.7
961 Neotame 33 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
PHOSPHATES 2,200 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
440 Pectins GMP 04.2.2.7
900a Polydimethylsiloxane 10 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
124 Ponceau 4R (Cochineal red A) 500 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
501(i) Potassium carbonate GMP 04.2.2.7
508 Potassium chloride GMP 04.2.2.7
407a Processed eucheuma seaweed (PES) GMP 04.2.2.7
1204 Pullulan GMP 04.2.2.7
RIBOFLAVINS 500 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
SACCHARINS 200 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
SORBATES 1,000 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
STEVIOL GLYCOSIDES 200 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
SULFITES 500 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
350(ii) Sodium DL-malate GMP 04.2.2.7
262(i) Sodium acetate GMP 04.2.2.7
301 Sodium ascorbate GMP 04.2.2.7
500(i) Sodium carbonate GMP 04.2.2.7
316 Sodium erythorbate (Sodium isoascorbate) GMP 04.2.2.7
365 Sodium fumarates GMP 04.2.2.7
576 Sodium gluconate GMP 04.2.2.7
325 Sodium lactate GMP 04.2.2.7
955 Sucralose (Trichlorogalactosucrose) 580 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
110 Sunset yellow FCF 200 mg/kg 04.2.2.7
331(iii) Trisodium citrate GMP 04.2.2.7
415 Xanthan gum GMP 04.2.2.7

Items in uppercase (e.g. PHOSPHATES) refer to food additive groups.


  1. Food Chemistry, H.-D. Belitz & W. Grosch, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, 1987, pp. 572-576.
  2. Asian Foods: Science and Technology, C.Y.W. Ang, K.S. Liu, & Y.-W. Huang, Eds., Chapter 11: Vegetable Products, S.L. Wang, Technomic Publishing Co., Lancaster PA 1999, pp. 320-323.

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