{"topic_id":"ECFR_573_food_coloring","category":"ecfr","context":"---\ntopic_id: \"ECFR_573_food_coloring\"\ncategory: \"ecfr\"\ntitle: \"ECFR 573 food coloring\"\nlang: en\nsource_document: \"U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"ecfr\"\n  title: \"ECFR 573 food coloring\"\n  url: \"\"\n  retrieved: \"\"\n  ref: \"\"\n  doc_type: \"official source\"\n  needs_review: true\nauthority_tier: T1\nauthority_tier_basis: \"T1:us-gov\"\nauthority_tier_date: 2026-08-04\n---\nColor additives in pet food are not governed by 21 CFR 573 (that part covers food additives permitted in animal feed and drinking water) — colors fall under FDA's color-additive regulations in 21 CFR parts 73 and 74 (listing of color additives exempt from, and subject to, certification), which are outside the currently parsed corpus; the label-side declaration duty sits in 21 CFR 501.22 (labeling of animal food with regard to spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives). General rules that do apply: a color additive may only be used if it is listed for that use, and colors may not be used to deceive about quality (e.g., to make a product appear more meat-like), since a misleading presentation renders the food misbranded (21 CFR 501.18). Within the parsed feed-additive part (21 CFR 573), the color-relevant entries are limited; pet food formulators should verify each color's listing, permitted species and maximum level directly in parts 73/74 before use.\n","sources":["ecfr — ECFR 573 food coloring"],"source":{"authority":"ecfr","title":"ECFR 573 food coloring","url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/","retrieved":"","ref":"","doc_type":"official source","source_document":"U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)","verification_file":""},"source_document":"U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)","source_file":"","trust":{"authority_tier":"T1","fidelity":"verbatim","license":null,"display_grade":"A"},"tokens_estimated":127,"generated_at":"2026-07-16","tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}