Original: Food Additives and Ingredients Association , no date , Frequently Asked Questions , accessed 6 March 2010 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 .
Simplified: Only a subset of the INS additives are approved for use in the European Union , the E prefix which stands for Europe .