CODEX STAN 32 Page 1 of 5
CODEX STANDARD FOR MARGARINE
CODEX STAN 32-1981 (Rev. 1-1989) 1
1. SCOPE
This Standard will not apply to any product which contains less than 80% fat and is not labelled in any
manner which implies, either directly or indirectly, that the product is margarine.
2. DESCRIPTION
2.1 Product definition
Margarine is a food in the form of a plastic or fluid emulsion, which is mainly of the type water/oil, produced
principally from edible fats and oils, which are not mainly derived from milk.
2.2 0ther definitions
2.2.1 Edible fats and oils means foodstuffs composed of glycerides of fatty acids of vegetable, animal or
marine origin. Fats of animal origin must be produced from animals in good health at the time of slaughter
and be fit for human consumption as determined by a competent authority recognized in national legislation.
They may contain small amounts of other lipids such as phosphatides, of unsaponifiable constituents and of
free fatty acids naturally present in the fat or oil.
2.2.2 Prepacked means packed or made up in advance, ready for retail sale in a container.
3. ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS
3.1 Raw materials
3.1.1 Edible fats and/or oils, or mixtures of these, whether or not they have been subjected to a process of
modification.
3.1.2 Water and/or milk and/or milk products.
3.2 Minimum fat content
80% m/m of the product
3.3 Maximum water content
16% m/m of the product
1
Formerly CAC/RS 32-1969.
CODEX STAN 32 Page 2 of 5
3.4 Additions
The following substances may be added to margarine:
3.4.1 Vitamins: Vitamin A and its esters
Vitamin D
Vitamin E and its esters
0ther vitamins
Maximum and minimum levels for vitamins A, D and E and other vitamins should be laid down by national
legislation in accordance with the needs of each individual country including, where appropriate, the
prohibition of the use of particular vitamins.
3.4.2 Sodium chloride
3.4.3 Sugars 2
3.4.4 Suitable edible proteins
4. FOOD ADDITIVES
4.1 Colours
Maximum level
4.1.1 Beta-carotene 25 mg/kg
4.1.2 Annatto extracts 20 mg/kg (calculated as total bixin or norbixin)
4.1.3 Curcumin or Turmeric 5 mg/kg (calculated as total curcumin)
4.1.4 Beta-apo-8'-carotenal 25 mg/kg
4.1.5 Methyl and ethyl esters of beta-apo-8' 25 mg/kg
carotenoic acid
4.2 Flavours
Natural flavours and their identical synthetic equivalents, except those which are known to represent a toxic
hazard, and other synthetic flavours approved by the Codex Alimentarius Commission are permitted for the
purpose of restoring natural flavour lost in processing or for the purpose of standardizing flavour, as long as
the added flavour does not deceive or mislead the consumer by concealing damage or inferiority or by making
the product appear to be of greater than actual value.
2
"Sugars" means any carbohydrate sweetening matter.
CODEX STAN 32 Page 3 of 5
4.3 Emulsifiers
4.3.1 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Limited by GMP
4.3.2 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids 10 g/kg
esterified with the following acids: acetic;
acetyltartaric; citric; lactic; tartaric, and
their sodium and calcium salts
4.3.3 Lecithins and components of commercial Limited by GMP
lecithin
4.3.4 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids 5 g/kg
4.3.5 1,2-propylene glycol esters of fatty acids 20 g/kg
4.3.6 Esters of fatty acids with polyalcohols 10 g/kg
other than glycerol:
Sorbitan monopalmitate
Sorbitan monostearate
Sorbitan tristearate
4.3.7 Sucrose esters of fatty acids (including 10 g/kg
sucroglycerides)
4.4 Preservatives
4.4.1 Sorbic acid and its sodium, potassium and 1000 mg/kg individually or in combination
calcium salts
4.4.2 Benzoic acid and its sodium and potassium expressed as the acids
salts
4.5 Antioxidants
4.5.1 Propyl gallate 100 mg/kg
4.5.2 Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) 75 mg/kg
4.5.3 Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) 175 mg/kg
4.5.4 Any combination of propyl gallate, BHA, 200 mg/kg, but limits in 4.5.1-4.5.3 not to be
BHT exceeded
4.5.5 Natural and synthetic tocopherols 500 mg/kg
4.5.6 Ascorbyl palmitate ) 500 mg/kg individually or in combination
4.5.7 Ascorbyl stearate )
4.5.8 Dilauryl thiodipropionate 200 mg/kg
CODEX STAN 32 Page 4 of 5
4.6 Antioxidant synergists
4.6.1 Citric acid Limited by GMP
4.6.2 Sodium citrate Limited by GMP
4.6.5 Isopropyl citrate mixture )
4.6.4 Phosphoric acid ) 100 mg/kg individually or in combination
4.6.5 Monoglyceride citrate )
4.7 Acidity regulators
4.7.1 Citric and lactic acids and their potassium GMP
and sodium salts
4.7.2 L-tartaric acid and its sodium and GMP
sodium/potassium salts
4.8 Anti-foaming agent
Dimethyl polysiloxane (dimethyl silicone) 10 mg/kg
singly or in combination with silicon
dioxide
5. CONTAMINANTS
5.1 Iron (Fe) 1.5 mg/kg
5.2 Copper (Cu) 0.1 mg/kg
5.3 Lead (Pb) 0.1 mg/kg
5.4 Arsenic (As) 0.1 mg/kg
6. HYGIENE
It is recommended that the product covered by the provisions of this Standard be prepared in accordance with
the appropriate Sections of the General Principles of Food Hygiene recommended by the Codex Alimentarius
Commission (Ref. No. CAC/RCP 1-1969, Rev. 2-1985).
7. PACKAGING
Margarine when sold by retail shall be prepacked and may be sold in pack of any shape.
8. LABELLING
The provisions of the General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods (CODEX STAN 1-1985
(Rev. 1-1991)) shall apply.
CODEX STAN 32 Page 5 of 5
8.1 Name of the food
8.1.1 The name of the food to be declared on the label shall be "Margarine".
8.2 Labelling of non-Retail containers 3
The Labelling of Non-Retail Containers shall comply with the section 5.3 of the Guidelines on Labelling
Provisions in Codex Standards.
9. METHODS OF ANALYSIS AND SAMPLING
See Codex Alimentarius Volume 13.
3
Applicable only to outer containers for a number of prepackaged foods.
