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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

Fruit

04.1

Fresh fruit

04.1.1

Untreated fresh fruit

04.1.1.1

Surface-treated fresh fruit

04.1.1.2

Peeled or cut fresh fruit

04.1.1.3

Processed fruit

04.1.2

Frozen fruit

04.1.2.1

Dried fruit

04.1.2.2

Fruit in vinegar, oil, or brine

04.1.2.3

Canned or bottled (pasteurized) fruit

04.1.2.4

Jams, jellies, marmelades

04.1.2.5

Fruit-based spreads (e.g. chutney) excluding products of food category 04.1.2.5

04.1.2.6

Candied fruit

04.1.2.7

Fruit preparations, including pulp, purees, fruit toppings and coconut milk

04.1.2.8

Fruit-based desserts, including fruit-flavoured water-based desserts

04.1.2.9

Fermented fruit products

04.1.2.10

Fruit fillings for pastries

04.1.2.11

Cooked fruit

04.1.2.12

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

04.2

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

04.2.1

Untreated fresh vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes [(including soybeans)], and aloe vera), seaweeds, and nuts and seeds

04.2.1.1

Surface-treated fresh vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweeds, and nuts and seeds

04.2.1.2

Peeled, cut or shredded fresh vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweeds, and nuts and seeds

04.2.1.3

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

04.2.2

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

04.2.2.1

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

04.2.2.2

Vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), and seaweeds in vinegar, oil, brine, or soybean sauce

04.2.2.3

Canned or bottled (pasteurized) or retort pouch vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), and seaweeds

04.2.2.4

Vegetable (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweed, and nut and seed purees and spreads (e.g., peanut butter)

04.2.2.5

Vegetable (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweed, and nut and seed pulps and preparations (e.g. vegetable desserts and sauces, candied vegetables) other than food category 04.2.2.5

04.2.2.6

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

Cooked or fried vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), and seaweeds

04.2.2.8

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

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

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