Article 1

1. This Directive is a specific directive forming a part of the comprehensive directive within the meaning of Article 3 of Directive 89/107/EEC. 2. For the purposes of this Directive, 'colours' are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foodstuffs and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foodstuffs as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food. Preparations obtained from foodstuffs and other natural source materials obtained by physical and/or chemical extraction resulting in a selective extraction of the pigments relative to the nutritive or aromatic constituents are colours within the meaning of this Directive. 3. However, the following substances shall not be considered colours for the purposes of this Directive: foodstuffs, whether dried or in concentrated form and flavourings incorporated during the manufacturing of compound foodstuffs, because of their aromatic, sapid or nutritive properties together with a secondary colouring effect, such as paprika, turmeric and saffron, colours used for the colouring of the inedible external parts of foodstuffs, such as cheese coatings and sausage casings.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-08 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.