- Quantum satis
Quantum Satis (abbreviation qs or QS) is a Latin term meaning The amount which is needed. It has its origins as a quantity specification in
medicine andpharmacology , but is also used in the same function in food regulations and food safety laws in theEuropean Community .The specification of "Quantum Satis" for an ingredient essentially means "Add as much of this ingredient as is needed to achieve the desired result, but not more."
In food safety regulations in the EU it is a catch-all restriction for artificial food ingredients (especially food additives) which are harmless enough to have no specific quantity restriction.It serves to protect consumers from the addition of excessive and unnecessary amounts of such artificial food additives in their foodstuffs and restricts the producer to:
*use the smallest possible amount of the additive sufficient to achieve the desired result
*under observation ofGood Manufacturing Practice
*and without deception of the consumer.For example,
European Union directive 94/36/EC [http://www.fsai.ie/legislation/food/eu_docs/Food_additives/Dir94.36.pdf] (which regulates the use offood color s) explains in Article 2 (7): "In the Annexes to this Directive" 'quantum satis' "means that no maximum level is specified. However, coloring matters shall be used according to good manufacturing practice at a level not higher than is necessary to achieve the intended purpose and provided that they do not mislead the customer"."Translated and copied from German Wikipedia"
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