The Food Colorants Regulations, no.78 of 2002.

This Regulation, issued by the Council of Ministers pursuant to the provisions of article 29 of the basic legislation no. 54 of 1996 on Food (Control and Sale) and its amendments, and in order to harmonise Cyprus legislation with the following Acts of European Law, Directive 94/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on colorants that may be used in foodstuffs, Directive 95/45/EC of the Commission on the establishment of specific purity criteria for pigments used in foodstuffs as amended by Directive 1999/75/EC, provides for conditions for permitting use of colorants in food and foodstuffs and defines the following relevant terms: raw food, as food not processed; infant; toddler; permitted colouring matter; food additive; sale; compound food; pigment substance. he Regulation defines the permitted colorants used for sanitary or other marking of meat or meat products; permitted colourants used for sealing or decorative colouring of eggshells; limitation on the sale of colouring matters; provisions concerning import and export of colouring matters; criminal offences in case of violations; repealing of previous Regulations; date of validity of the Regulation.
Annexes concern: list of allowed colouring substances; stability criteria of allowed colouring substances; list of foodstuffs not allowed to contain additives and colouring substance unless expressly stated, including: unprocessed food, bottled or packaged water, milk, cream and cream powder, animal and vegetable oils and fats, eggs and egg products, flour, bread, sugar, tomato, fruit juice, fruit and vegetables, mushrooms and potatoes, fish, molluscs and crustaceans, meat, poultry and game, cocoa products and chocolate ingredients in chocolate products, roasted coffee, tea, chicory, salt, wine, various spirits, infant and toddler food; list of allowed colorants for certain uses only.