Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/196 has applied since 18 August 2026. It sets a pectin limit of 4,000 mg/kg in two categories of foods for special medical purposes for infants and young children, compared with 5,000 mg/kg in milk-based drinks for young children. The food category and the conditions attached to its entry determine the applicable use.

The same hydrocolloid can have different permitted uses

The regulation changes both food additive uses and specifications. The amendments to uses concern carrageenan E 407, locust bean gum E 410, guar gum E 412, gum arabic E 414, xanthan gum E 415, pectins E 440 and starch sodium octenyl succinate E 1450. Each entry needs to be read with its food category and any stated restrictions.

In categories 13.1.5.1 and 13.1.5.2, pectins have a maximum level of 4,000 mg/kg in products used for gastrointestinal disorders. Locust bean gum has a limit of 5,300 mg/kg in products for reducing gastro-oesophageal reflux. The age-related scope of the food category remains part of the assessment.

Guar gum is removed from category 13.1.1, covering infant formulae, and category 13.1.5.1, covering foods for special medical purposes intended for infants. In category 13.1.5.2, its 10,000 mg/kg entry applies until 27 April 2027 and is restricted to liquid formulae containing hydrolysed proteins, peptides or amino acids.

For E 1450, the entries in the two special-medical-purpose categories move from 20,000 mg/kg to 10,000 mg/kg from 18 February 2028. Category 13.1.5.1 also restricts the entry to infant formulae and follow-on formulae. The category, product description and application date therefore need to remain together.

Category 01.10, milk-based drinks and similar products intended for young children, has separate levels: 300 mg/kg for carrageenan; 10,000 mg/kg each for locust bean gum, guar gum, gum arabic and xanthan gum; and 5,000 mg/kg for pectins. New footnote X reduces each substance’s maximum level according to the relative amounts of the other listed substances used together. A formulation containing several of these hydrocolloids must account for this combined-use condition.

Transition provisions distinguish additives from finished foods

Article 3 contains five paragraphs. The first two concern six additives lawfully placed on the market before 18 August 2026: E 410, E 412, E 414, E 415, E 440 and E 1450. Those stocks may be added to food under Annexes II and III to Regulation 1333/2008 until exhausted. Foods containing the qualifying additives may be placed on the market until their minimum durability or use-by date.

The third paragraph separately addresses foods that fail to meet the new Annex I provisions but were lawfully placed on the market before the relevant boundary. They may continue to be marketed until their own durability or use-by date. The general boundary is 18 August 2026; for foods containing E 1450, it is 18 February 2028.

The fourth and fifth paragraphs specifically cover foods containing guar gum. Categories 13.1.1 and 13.1.5.1 use the 18 August 2026 boundary, while category 13.1.5.2 uses 27 April 2027. Applying a transition provision starts with identifying whether the item is an additive stock or a finished food, followed by its category and lawful market-placement date.

Suppliers need to follow both uses and specifications

The recitals cite European Food Safety Authority assessments issued between 2019 and 2024 for the different additives. The resulting amendments address individual uses and specifications. An assessment of xanthan gum for a particular infant use, for example, concerns the conditions assessed for that substance.

Suppliers can update their technical information along two related lines. For use, the E number and the customer’s food category locate the maximum level, additional conditions and application date. For specifications, Annex II to the new regulation identifies the amendments to Regulation 231/2012. Continued permission for a use and conformity with the amended specifications are separate parts of the review.

Pectin’s 4,000 and 5,000 mg/kg limits illustrate the practical importance of identifying the destination formulation. A precise food category gives the supplier’s technical discussion a defined context and helps the customer select the relevant entry before reviewing a proposed formulation.