Quantum satis
Encyclopedia
Quantum satis is a Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 term meaning the amount which is needed. It has its origins as a quantity
Quantity
Quantity is a property that can exist as a magnitude or multitude. Quantities can be compared in terms of "more" or "less" or "equal", or by assigning a numerical value in terms of a unit of measurement. Quantity is among the basic classes of things along with quality, substance, change, and relation...

 specification in medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....

 and pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...

 , where a similar term quantum sufficit has been used (abbreviated Q.S.) . Quantum satis is also used in the same function in food regulations and food safety laws in the European Community
Food safety
Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards....

 (EC/EU).

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 additive
Food additive
Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance its taste and appearance.Some additives have been used for centuries; for example, preserving food by pickling , salting, as with bacon, preserving sweets or using sulfur dioxide as in some wines...

s) 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 of Good Manufacturing Practice
    Good Manufacturing Practice
    "Good manufacturing practice" or "GMP" are practices and the systems required to be adapted in pharmaceutical manufacturing, quality control, quality system covering the manufacture and testing of pharmaceuticals or drugs including active pharmaceutical ingredients, diagnostics, foods,...

  • Without deception of the consumer


For example, European Union directive
European Union directive
A directive is a legislative act of the European Union, which requires member states to achieve a particular result without dictating the means of achieving that result. It can be distinguished from regulations which are self-executing and do not require any implementing measures. Directives...

 94/36/EC (which regulates the use of food colors) 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". The words quantum satis are used with reference to a number of substances in the Annexes III and IV to the EU directive 94/36/EC.
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