E400-E499: Thickeners & Emulsifiers
108 E-numbers in this range
The E400-E499 range covers thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and gelling agents — additives that control the texture, consistency, and stability of food products. Many are derived from natural sources like seaweed (carrageenan, agar), plant seeds (guar gum), or soybeans (lecithin). They are fundamental to modern food manufacturing, found in everything from ice cream and salad dressing to plant-based milks and gluten-free bread.
E400 Alginic Acid safe E401 Sodium Alginate safe E402 Potassium Alginate safe E403 Ammonium Alginate safe E404 Calcium Alginate safe E405 Propane-1,2-diol Alginate (Propylene Glycol Alginate) safe E406 Agar safe E407 Carrageenan caution E407a Processed Eucheuma Seaweed (PES) unknown E408 Bakers Yeast Glycan unknown E409 Arabinogalactan unknown E410 Locust Bean Gum (Carob Gum) safe E411 Oat Gum unknown E412 Guar Gum safe E413 Tragacanth Gum safe E414 Gum Arabic (Acacia Gum) safe E415 Xanthan Gum safe E416 Karaya Gum safe E417 Tara Gum safe E418 Gellan Gum safe E419 Gum Ghatti unknown E420 Sorbitol caution E421 Mannitol caution E422 Glycerol safe E423 Modified Guar Gum (Cationic) unknown E424 Curdlan unknown E425 Konjac Glucomannan caution E426 Soybean Hemicellulose safe E427 Cassia Gum unknown E430 Polyoxyethylene (8) Stearate avoid E431 Polyoxyethylene (40) Stearate avoid E432 Polysorbate 20 caution E433 Polysorbate 80 caution E434 Polysorbate 40 safe E435 Polysorbate 60 caution E436 Polysorbate 65 safe E440 Pectin safe E441 Gelatin unknown E442 Ammonium Phosphatides safe E443 Brominated Vegetable Oil avoid E444 Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate (SAIB) safe E445 Glycerol Esters of Wood Rosins safe E446 Succinylated Monoglycerides unknown E450 Diphosphates (Pyrophosphates) caution E450a Disodium Dihydrogen Diphosphate unknown E450b Trisodium Diphosphate unknown E450c Tetrasodium Diphosphate unknown E450d Tetrapotassium Diphosphate unknown E451 Triphosphates caution E451a Pentasodium Triphosphate unknown E451b Pentapotassium Triphosphate unknown E452 Polyphosphates caution E452a Sodium Polyphosphate (Glassy) unknown E452b Potassium Polyphosphate unknown E452c Sodium Calcium Polyphosphate unknown E452d Calcium Polyphosphate unknown E453 Sodium Polyphosphate (Graham Salt) unknown E455 Olibanum Gum (Frankincense) unknown E456 Polyaspartate unknown E457 Alpha-Cyclodextrin safe E458 Gamma-Cyclodextrin safe E459 Beta-Cyclodextrin safe E460 Cellulose safe E461 Methyl Cellulose safe E462 Ethyl Cellulose safe E463 Hydroxypropyl Cellulose safe E464 Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC) safe E465 Ethylmethyl Cellulose safe E466 Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) safe E467 Ethylhydroxyethyl Cellulose unknown E468 Cross-linked Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose safe E469 Enzymatically Hydrolysed Carboxymethyl Cellulose safe E470a Sodium/Potassium/Calcium Salts of Fatty Acids safe E470b Magnesium Salts of Fatty Acids safe E471 Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids caution E472a Acetic Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides safe E472b Lactic Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides safe E472c Citric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides safe E472d Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides safe E472e DATEM (Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters) safe E472f Mixed Acetic and Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides safe E472g Succinylated Monoglycerides unknown E473 Sucrose Esters of Fatty Acids safe E474 Sucroglycerides safe E475 Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids safe E476 Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate (PGPR) caution E477 Propane-1,2-diol Esters of Fatty Acids safe E478 Lactylated Fatty Acid Esters of Glycerol and Propane-1,2-diol unknown E479b Thermally Oxidised Soya Bean Oil with Mono/Diglycerides safe E480 Dioctyl Sodium Sulphosuccinate unknown E481 Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate (SSL) safe E482 Calcium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate (CSL) safe E483 Stearyl Tartrate safe E484 Stearyl Citrate unknown E485 Sodium Stearoyl Fumarate unknown E486 Calcium Stearoyl Fumarate unknown E487 Sodium Lauryl Sulphate unknown E488 Ethoxylated Mono- and Di-glycerides unknown E489 Methyl Glucoside-Coconut Oil Ester unknown E491 Sorbitan Monostearate safe E492 Sorbitan Tristearate safe E493 Sorbitan Monolaurate safe E494 Sorbitan Mono-oleate safe E495 Sorbitan Monopalmitate safe E496 Sorbitan Trioleate unknown E497 Polyvinylpyrrolidone unknown E498 Partially Polymerised Polydextrose unknown E499 Stigmasterol-rich Plant Sterols unknown
Frequently Asked Questions
What are E400-E499 thickeners and emulsifiers?
The E400-E499 range covers thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and gelling agents. Thickeners increase viscosity (like xanthan gum E415, guar gum E412). Emulsifiers help oil and water mix (like lecithin E322, polysorbates E432-E436). Gelling agents create solid or semi-solid textures (like agar E406, carrageenan E407, pectin E440). These additives are essential for the texture of ice cream, sauces, dressings, bread, and many other products.
Is carrageenan (E407) safe?
Carrageenan is controversial. It is a natural extract from red seaweed, widely used as a thickener in dairy and plant-based milks. Some animal studies have linked degraded carrageenan (poligeenan) to gut inflammation, but food-grade carrageenan is a different substance. The FDA, EFSA, and JECFA consider food-grade carrageenan safe. However, some health advocates recommend avoiding it, and the National Organic Standards Board removed it from the organic approved list in 2018.
Are gums like xanthan gum and guar gum safe?
Yes, xanthan gum (E415) and guar gum (E412) are generally considered safe and are approved worldwide. Xanthan gum is produced by bacterial fermentation, while guar gum comes from guar beans. Both are commonly used in gluten-free baking as a binder. In very large amounts, they can cause digestive discomfort (bloating, gas), but at typical food levels they are well-tolerated by most people.