E NUMBER

noun (Environment) (Lifestyle and Leisure) A code number in the form of the letter E followed by a group of digits, used as a standard way of referring to approved food additives when listing ingredients on food or drink labels under EC regulations; by extension, an additive (especially the additive to which a particular code refers). Sometimes abbreviated to E, an additive. Etymology: The initial letter of Europe(an) in a compound with number. History and Usage: The European Commission recommended in 1977 that all food additives should be declared by their name or their E number; by 1986 this was compulsory except in the case of flavourings. As the eighties progressed, and particularly after the publication in 1984 of Maurice Hanssen's book E for Additives, public awareness of E numbers grew steadily in the UK. By the early nineties, E number was often abbreviated to E alone and both terms were popularly used to refer to the additives themselves rather than the codes (a point which was picked up and exploited in a number of food-advertising campaigns). This resulted in labelling and advertising copy which used E-free as a synonym for additive-free. Apparently the effect of Es on Yuppie kids is dramatic. A simple glass of orange squash or a packet of crisps can bring them out in a rash or drive them barmy. Today 21 Oct. 1987, p. 36 It's not so long since we learned the link between eating certain 'E' numbers and the behaviour of highly disruptive children. She Oct. 1989, p. 2