Food Chemicals Codex (FCC)

The new FCC, Eighth Edition, published March 1, 2012. The FCC is a compendium of internationally recognized standards for determining the purity and quality of food ingredients. It is a valuable resource for authenticating a wide variety of ingredients, including processing aids, preservatives, flavorings, colorants, and nutrients.

Published since 1966, the FCC was acquired by USP from the Institute of Medicine in 2006. The FCC is now revised and updated through an open collaborative revision process involving industry, government, and the public. Learn more about FCC and the development and revision process.

Highlights & Features

The FCC, Eighth Edition, provides access to comprehensive specifications, methods, and reference information for food ingredients used around the world.

• More than 1,100 monographs featuring key specifications:
  • empirical formula; structural formula; formula weight; CAS, INS, and FEMA numbers
  • description, including physical form and solubility
  • function; identification; assay; impurity limits; and specific tests
  • packaging and storage; and more. View a sample FCC monograph.
  Recent updates include new or revised standards for glycerin, lutein, sodium iron EDTA, DHA alga oil, synthetic red color additives, ARA infant formula ingredients, and mineral oil. View new edition Admissions and Annotations.
• 15 appendices providing clear, step-by-step guidance for more than 150 tests and assays
• Helpful information and guidance: Validation of Food Chemicals Codex Methods; AOAC/ISO/IUPAC guidelines on method validation; USP Reference Standards for food ingredients; Information on analytical techniques from USP–NF General Chapters, IR spectra; General Good Manufacturing Practices Guidelines for Food Chemicals; Comparison of GMP elements from foods and drugs; and FCC in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations
• New—1,300+ entry excerpt from the USP Food Fraud Database: featuring information on adulterants reported for specific ingredients, including analytical methods. Based on scholarly manuscripts and media articles from 1980–2010, it serves a baseline on fraud issues and is a useful risk management tool.

Subscription Information: Includes Three Supplements

• Available in two-year print and online subscriptions. Subscription includes a main edition and three supplements, which publish at six-month intervals during the subscription period. Each supplement contains significant new and revised standards and information. View publication and comment schedule.
• Online features the same quality content as print with the added convenience of keyword and advance search; copy, paste, and bookmarking; and password accessibility from any computer, 24 hours a day.

Benefits & Applications

• The FCC is an essential reference for food and beverage manufacturing, food chemicals and ingredient supply chain management, quality control, and regulatory affairs.
• The latest edition provides accepted standards that include validated methods with the associated specifications—use them with global partners to manage your supply chain.
• FCC standards can help differentiate suppliers and can help manufacturers save time and money on day-to-day purchasing and transactions.

A Valuable Resource

The FCC is an important reference for scientists and professionals involved in

• Finished food and beverage manufacturing
• Food chemicals and ingredient supply chains
• Food quality control
• Food regulatory affairs