E-numbers: every food additive, rated

E-numbers are the codes for additives approved for use in the EU: colours, preservatives, sweeteners, emulsifiers and more. Below are 191 of them, each with a plain-English safety rating grounded in EFSA scientific opinions, and the reason behind it. 62 are worth avoiding, 64 worth watching, and 65 carry no significant concern.

Avoid Watch Safe

Avoid · 62

Known or suspected to cause harm: a substance EFSA or another regulator has flagged, or one restricted in some jurisdictions. Best kept out of a regular diet.

E102 — Tartrazine

Avoid E104 — Quinoline yellow

Avoid E110 — Sunset yellow FCF

Avoid E122 — Azorubine

Avoid E123 — Amaranth

Avoid E124 — Ponceau 4R

Avoid E126 — Ponceau 6R

Avoid E127 — Erythrosine

Avoid E129 — Allura red AC

Avoid E131 — Patent blue V

Avoid E132 — Indigotine

Avoid E133 — Brilliant blue FCF

Avoid E143 — Green 3

Avoid E150c — Ammonia caramel

Avoid E150d — Sulphite ammonia caramel

Avoid E171 — Titanium dioxide

Avoid E203 — Calcium sorbate

Avoid E210 — Benzoic acid

Avoid E211 — Sodium benzoate

Avoid E212 — Potassium benzoate

Avoid E220 — Sulphur dioxide

Avoid E221 — Sodium sulphite

Avoid E222 — Sodium bisulphite

Avoid E223 — Sodium metabisulphite

Avoid E224 — Potassium metabisulphite

Avoid E225 — Potassium sulphite

Avoid E226 — Calcium sulphite

Avoid E227 — Calcium bisulphite

Avoid E228 — Potassium bisulphite

Avoid E249 — Potassium nitrite

Avoid E250 — Sodium nitrite

Avoid E251 — Sodium nitrate

Avoid E252 — Potassium nitrate

Avoid E311 — Octyl gallate

Avoid E312 — Dodecyl gallate

Avoid E319 — TBHQ

Avoid E320 — BHA

Avoid E321 — BHT

Avoid E324 — Ethoxyquin

Avoid E338 — Phosphoric acid

Acidity regulator

Avoid E339 — Sodium phosphates

Avoid E340 — Potassium phosphates

Avoid E341 — Calcium phosphates

Avoid E407 — Carrageenan

Avoid E407a — Processed eucheuma seaweed

Avoid E442 — Ammonium phosphatides

Avoid E450 — Diphosphates

Avoid E451 — Triphosphates

Avoid E452 — Polyphosphates

Avoid E466 — Carboxymethyl cellulose

Avoid E468 — Croscarmellose sodium

Avoid E469 — Enzymatically hydrolysed carboxymethylcellulose

Avoid E471 — Mono- and diglycerides

Avoid E488 — Ethoxylated mono- and diglycerides

Avoid E542 — Bone phosphate

Avoid E551 — Silicon dioxide

Anti-caking agent

Avoid E620 — Glutamic acid

Flavor enhancer

Avoid E621 — Monosodium glutamate

Flavor enhancer

Avoid E950 — Acesulfame K

Avoid E951 — Aspartame

Avoid E955 — Sucralose

Avoid E962 — Salt of aspartame-acesulfame

Watch · 64

Mixed evidence or a specific concern (gut, allergy, or contested safety data). Not alarming, but worth keeping an eye on rather than eating without limit.

E150 — Caramel colour

Watch E160b — Annatto

Watch E170 — Calcium carbonate

Watch E200 — Sorbic acid

Watch E202 — Potassium sorbate

Watch E242 — Dimethyl dicarbonate

Watch E282 — Calcium propionate

Watch E315 — Erythorbic acid

Watch E316 — Sodium erythorbate

Watch E317 — Potassium erythorbate

Watch E318 — Calcium erythorbate

Watch E325 — Sodium lactate

Acidity regulator

Watch E405 — Propylene glycol alginate

Watch E410 — Locust bean gum

Watch E412 — Guar gum

Watch E414 — Acacia gum

Watch E415 — Xanthan gum

Watch E417 — Tara gum

Watch E418 — Gellan gum

Watch E420 — Sorbitol

Watch E421 — Mannitol

Watch E422 — Glycerol

Watch E433 — Polysorbate 80

Watch E440 — Pectin

Watch E445 — Glycerol esters of wood rosin

Watch E460 — Cellulose

Watch E460i — Microcrystalline cellulose

Watch E460ii — Powdered cellulose

Watch E461 — Methyl cellulose

Watch E462 — Ethylcellulose

Watch E463 — Hydroxypropylcellulose

Watch E464 — Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose

Watch E465 — Ethylmethylcellulose

Watch E472a — Acetic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides

Watch E472b — Lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides

Watch E472c — Citric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides

Watch E472d — Tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides

Watch E472e — DATEM

Watch E472f — Mixed acetic and tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides

Watch E475 — Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids

Watch E477 — Propylene glycol esters of fatty acids

Watch E481 — Sodium stearoyl lactylate

Watch E491 — Sorbitan monostearate

Watch E492 — Sorbitan tristearate

Watch E493 — Sorbitan monolaurate

Watch E494 — Sorbitan monooleate

Watch E495 — Sorbitan monopalmitate

Watch E500 — Sodium carbonates

Acidity regulator

Watch E501 — Potassium carbonates

Acidity regulator

Watch E503 — Ammonium carbonates

Acidity regulator

Watch E627 — Disodium guanylate

Flavor enhancer

Watch E631 — Disodium inosinate

Flavor enhancer

Watch E635 — Disodium 5'-ribonucleotides

Flavor enhancer

Watch E901 — Beeswax

Watch E903 — Carnauba wax

Watch E904 — Shellac

Watch E952 — Cyclamate

Watch E957 — Thaumatin

Watch E959 — Neohesperidine dihydrochalcone

Watch E960 — Steviol glycosides

Watch E965 — Maltitol

Watch E966 — Lactitol

Watch E967 — Xylitol

Watch E968 — Erythritol

Safe · 65

Cleared by EFSA with no significant concern at typical dietary exposure. Common, well-studied, and not a reason to put a product back on the shelf.

E100 — Curcumin

Safe E101 — Riboflavin

Safe E120 — Cochineal

Safe E140 — Chlorophyll

Safe E141 — Copper chlorophyllin

Safe E150a — Plain caramel

Safe E150b — Caustic sulphite caramel

Safe E151 — Brilliant black BN

Safe E153 — Vegetable carbon

Safe E160a — Beta-carotene

Safe E160c — Paprika extract

Safe E160d — Lycopene

Safe E160e — Beta-apo-8'-carotenal

Safe E160f — Ethyl ester of beta-apo-8'-carotenoic acid

Safe E161b — Lutein

Safe E162 — Beetroot red

Safe E163 — Anthocyanins

Safe E172 — Iron oxides

Safe E260 — Acetic acid

Acidity regulator

Safe E262 — Sodium acetates

Safe E270 — Lactic acid

Acidity regulator

Safe E280 — Propionic acid

Safe E290 — Carbon dioxide

Acidity regulator

Safe E296 — Malic acid

Acidity regulator

Safe E297 — Fumaric acid

Acidity regulator

Safe E300 — Ascorbic acid

Safe E301 — Sodium ascorbate

Safe E304 — Ascorbyl palmitate

Safe E306 — Tocopherol-rich extract

Safe E307 — Alpha-tocopherol

Safe E322 — Lecithins

Safe E326 — Potassium lactate

Acidity regulator

Safe E327 — Calcium lactate

Acidity regulator

Safe E330 — Citric acid

Acidity regulator

Safe E331 — Sodium citrates

Acidity regulator

Safe E332 — Potassium citrates

Acidity regulator

Safe E333 — Calcium citrates

Acidity regulator

Safe E334 — Tartaric acid

Acidity regulator

Safe E413 — Tragacanth

Safe E470a — Sodium, potassium and calcium salts of fatty acids

Safe E470b — Magnesium salts of fatty acids

Safe E476 — Polyglycerol polyricinoleate

Safe E509 — Calcium chloride

Safe E516 — Calcium sulphate

Safe E575 — Glucono delta-lactone

Acidity regulator

Safe E920 — L-cysteine

Flour treatment

Safe E941 — Nitrogen

Safe E954 — Saccharin

Safe E961 — Neotame

Safe E1100 — Amylase

Safe E1103 — Invertase

Safe E1105 — Lysozyme

Safe E1200 — Polydextrose

Safe E1400 — Dextrin

Safe E1404 — Oxidized starch

Safe E1410 — Monostarch phosphate

Safe E1412 — Distarch phosphate

Safe E1413 — Phosphated distarch phosphate

Safe E1414 — Acetylated distarch phosphate

Safe E1420 — Acetylated starch

Safe E1422 — Acetylated distarch adipate

Safe E1442 — Hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate

Safe E1450 — Starch sodium octenyl succinate

Safe E1505 — Triethyl citrate

Safe E1518 — Glyceryl triacetate