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HomeHealth and Safety CodeDiv. 104Pt. 5Ch. 1§ 109895 Color Additive Definition

§ 109895 Color Additive Definition

Health and Safety Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 109895 Color Additive Definition

This law explains what a 'color additive' is. It says a color additive is something that can change the color of food, medicine, makeup, or even parts of your body.

Key Takeaways

  • •A color additive is something that can change the color of food, medicine, makeup, or your body.
  • •It can be made in a lab or come from plants, animals, or minerals.
  • •If something is only used for another purpose (not coloring), it’s not a color additive.
  • •Black, white, and gray are also considered colors in this law.

Example

Adding red dye to a candy to make it look more appealing.

The red dye is a color additive because it changes the color of the candy.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 109895 Color Additive Definition

“Color additive” means a substance that satisfies both of the following requirements: (a)  It is a dye, pigment, or other substance made by a process of synthesis or similar artifice, or extracted, isolated, or otherwise derived, with or without intermediate or final change of identity, from a vegetable, animal, mineral, or other source. (b)  When added or applied to a food, drug, device, or cosmetic, or to the human body or any part of the body, it is capable, alone or through reaction with any other substance, of imparting color to the food, drug, device, or cosmetic, or to the human body or the part of the human body, to which it is added or applied. The term “color additive” does not include any material that the department, by regulation, determines is used, or intended to be used, solely for a purpose or purposes other than coloring. The term “color,” as used in this section, includes black, white, and intermediate grays. This section does not apply to any pesticide chemical, soil, or plant nutrient, or other agricultural chemical, solely because of its effect in aiding, retarding, or otherwise affecting, directly or indirectly, the growth or other natural physiological process of produce of the soil and thereby affecting its color, whether before or after harvest. (Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 1996.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

color additivedyepigmentimparting color

Related Statutes

  • § 109940 Food Additive Definition
  • § 100100 Department Name Change
  • § 100105 Health Care Services Leadership
  • § 100110 Director'S Departmental Powers
  • § 100115 Rural Health Division Duties

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 109895.
View Official Source