    e numbers are codes for substances which can be used as food additives for use within the european union and switzerland (the "e" stands for "europe"). they are commonly found on food labels throughout the european union.european directive 95/2/ec on food additives other than colours and sweeteners safety assessment and approval are the responsibility of the european food safety authority.food additives and ingredients association, no date, frequently asked questions, accessed 6 march 2010 having a single unified list for food additives was first agreed upon in 1962 with colours. in 1964, the directives for preservatives were added, 1970 for antioxidants and 1974 for the emulsifiers, stabilisers, thickeners and gelling agents.food additives in the european union ==numbering scheme== the numbering scheme follows that of the international numbering system (ins) as determined by the codex alimentarius committee, though only a subset of the ins additives are approved for use in the european union as food additives. e numbers are also encountered on food labelling in other jurisdictions, including the cooperation council for the arab states of the gulf, australia, south africa, new zealandfood standards australia new zealand, website and israel. they are increasingly, though still rarely, found on north american packaging,see also "food additives", food and drug administration website especially in canada on imported european products. ==colloquial use== in some european countries, "e number" is sometimes used informally as a pejorative term for artificial food additives, and pro
Chemical_numbering_schemes Chemistry-related_lists Food_additives