Allergic or Intolerant to Food?
Helps you establish whether you are reacting to food due to an allergy or an intolerance and provides you with all the details you need with a simple table.
Emulsifiers & Stabilisers E400-E495
Emulsifiers allow water and oils to remain mixed together in an emulsion, as in mayonnaise, ice cream, and homogenised milk. Stabilizers, thickeners and gelling agents, like agar or pectin (used in jam for example) give foods a firmer texture. While they are not true emulsifiers, they help to stabilize emulsions.
| Number | Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| E400 | Alginic acid | thickener and vegetable gum, derived from seaweed; used in custard mix, cordial, flavoured milk, ice blocks, thickened cream and yoghurt; no known adverse effects in small quantities, large quantities can inhibit the absorption of some nutrients |
| E401 | Sodium alginate | see 400 |
| E402 | Potassium alginate | see 400 |
| E403 | Ammonium alginate | see 400 |
| E404 | Calcium alginate | see 400 |
| E405 | Propylene glycol alginate | thickener and vegetable gum, derived from petroleum; see separate entry |
| E406 | Agar | thickener and vegetable gum derived from red seaweed; sometimes used as a laxative, found in manufactured meats and ice cream |
| E407 | Carrageenan | a fiber extracted from seaweed, it has recently been linked with cancer because it may become contaminated when ethylene oxide is added to an inferior product, this results in ethylene chlorohydrins forming, a highly carcinogenic compound; linked to toxic hazards, including ulcers and cancer; the most serious concerns relate to degraded carrageen, which is not a permitted additive; however, native carrageen an, which is used, may become degraded in the gut |
| E410 | Locust bean gum | derived from Carob or Locust bean tree Ceratonia siliqua; used in lollies, cordials, essences, some flour products, dressings, fruit juice drinks; frequently used as a caffeine-free chocolate substitute; may lower cholesterol levels |
| E412 | Guar gum | derived from the seeds of Cyamoposis tetragonolobus of Indian origin; fed to cattle in the US; can cause nausea, flatulence and cramps, may reduced cholesterol levels |
| E413 | Tragacanth | resin form the tree Astragalus gummifer; used in foods, drugs including nasal solutions, elixirs and tablets; also used as a binder in cosmetics; possible contact allergy |
| E414 | Acacia gum | derived from the sap of Acacia Sengal; easily broken down by the human digestive system; possible allergen, soothes irritations of mucous membranes |
| E415 | Xanthan gum | derived from the fermentation of corn sugar with a bacterium |
| E416 | Karaya gum | derived from the tree Sterculia urens; often used in conjunction with Carob (E 410), in ice cream, custard and sweets, as a filler for its capability to multiply its volume by 100 times with the addition of water; possible allergen |
| E417 | Tara gum | derived from the Tara bush, Caesalpinia Spinosa is indigenous to Ecuador and Peru and is grown in Kenya |
| E420 | Sorbitol | artificial sweetener and humectants; derived from glucose, either obtained from berries or synthesised; used in lollies, dried fruit, pastries, confectionary, low calorie foods, pharmaceutical syrups and ophthalmic preparations and is the seventh most widely used preservative in cosmetics; not permitted in foods for infants and young children, can cause gastric disturbance |
| E421 | Mannitol | artificial sweetener and humectants; derived from seaweed or the manna ash tree; possible allergen, not permitted in infant foods due to its ability to cause diarrhoea and kidney dysfunction, also may cause nausea, vomiting; typical products are low calorie foods |
| E422 | Glycerol | humectants and sweetener; oily colourless alcohol; derived by decomposition of natural fats with alkalis; usually as a by-product of soap making using animal fat or vegetable oil; can be obtained from petroleum products sometimes synthesised from propylene or fermented from sugar; used in flexible coatings on sausages and cheeses, also in crystallised and dried fruit, liqueurs and vodka. "Glycerine has been shown to protect against DNA damage induced by tumour promoters, ultraviolet lights and radiation, presumably via free radical scavenging"; large quantities can cause headaches, thirst, nausea and high blood sugar levels. Typical products are liquors, confectionary, dried fruit, low calorie foods |
| E430 | ? | ? |
| E431 | Polyoxyethylene stearate | ? |
| E432 | Polysorbate 20 | avoid it, banned in some countries |
| E433 | Polysorbate 80 | emulsifiers derived from animal fatty acids; used as synthetic flavourings, surfactants, defoaming agents and dough conditioners; may increase the absorption of fat-soluble substances |
| E434 | Polysorbate 40 | avoid it, banned in some countries |
| E435 | Polysorbate 60 | see 433 |
| E436 | Polysorbate 120 | see 433 |
| E440(a) | Pectin | naturally occurring in the skins of apples; used to thicken jams, jellies and sauces; large quantities may cause temporary flatulence or intestinal discomfort |
| E440(b) | Amidated pectin | no known adverse effects |
| E441 | Gelatine | possible allergen, may contain 220, asthmatics and people allergic to sulphites beware! |
| E442 | Ammonium phosphatides | no known adverse effects |
| E450 | Diphosphates | High intakes may upset the calcium/phosphate equilibrium |
| E460 | Cellulose | anti-caking agent; no adverse effects known |
| E461 | Methyl cellulose | can cause flatulence, distension, intestinal obstruction |
| E463 | Hydroxypropyl cellulose | avoid it, banned in some countries |
| E464 | Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose | no known adverse effects |
| E4120 | Ethyl methyl cellulose | no known adverse effects |
| E466 | Carboxy methyl cellulose, Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose | no known adverse effects |
| E469 | Sodium caseinate | no known adverse effects |
| E470 | Fatty acids salts | avoid it, banned in some countries |
| E471 | Mono & di glycerides of fatty acids | no known adverse effects |
| E472 | Fatty acid esters of glycerides | no known adverse effects |
| E473 | Sucrose esters of fatty acids | no known adverse effects |
| E474 | Sucroglycerides | avoid it, banned in some countries |
| E475 | Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids | no known adverse effects |
| E476 | Polyglycerol polyricinoleate | no known adverse effects |
| E477 | Propylene glycol esters of fatty acids | derived from petroleum; no known adverse effects |
| E478 | ? | ? |
| E479(b) | Thermally oxidized soya bean oil interacted with mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids | ? |
| E480 | Dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate | awaiting results of studies |
| E481 | Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate | no known adverse effects |
| E482 | Calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate | no known adverse effects |
| E483 | Stearyl tartrate | avoid it, banned in some countries |
| E491 | Sorbitan monos tearate | no known adverse effects |
| E492 | Sorbitan tristearate | may increase the absorption of fat-soluble substances |
| E493 | Sorbitan monolaurate | avoid it, banned in some countries |
| E494 | Sorbitan mono-oleate | avoid it, banned in some countries |
| E495 | Sorbitan monopalmitate | avoid it, banned in some countries |
* Hyperactive Children Support Group (HACSG)
** Food and Drug Administration (U.S.)
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