"Food grade" food...?

There are regulations on food contact materials e.g. for packaging etc but what/where are the guidelines that make a food...food? Especially for chemicals that are used for food flavourings/additives etc, what separates inudstrial from food suitability?

There are regulations on food contact materials e.g. for packaging etc but what/where are the guidelines that make a food...food? Especially for chemicals that are used for food flavourings/additives etc, what separates inudstrial from food suitability?

Dear D-D,

Yr question encompasses a vast array of official/library reference texts in a large assortment of languages (every Country has one ). If you Google Food Grade Chemicals, 200M hits for me. There are some "International" compilations also which act as primary sources. Few examples -

FCC = Food Chemical Codex.

Codex Alimentarius's Encyclopedia of defined FGCs-additives / Codex E-Numbers (try looking on the back of snack food packets).

US-FDA Food Additive Lists.

US-FDA's GRAS (Generally Recognised As Safe) list.

It gets a bit more discriminating if you are seeking things like edible lubricants. And then there is Pharmaceutical Grade.

I expect UK has their own list(s) also, somewhere. BSI XYZ ?

I suppose the general answer to yr other query is "purity", particularly directed towards "food safety" / toxicity aspects, eg BCP(A) specifications.

Rgds / Charles.C