Glycine and its sodium salt
Function: Flavour enhancers
E640 is the European food-additive number for Glycine and its sodium salt, a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste of a food. Glycine and its sodium salt (E640) is a food additive used as a food additive.
What is E640 used for?
Glycine and its sodium salt (E640) is a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste of a food. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all Flavour enhancers (E-numbers).
Is E640 safe or restricted?
E640 is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as “No known concern” and does not make health claims. See the methodology for how regulatory levels are assigned, or the guide to how EU additives are approved, re-evaluated and banned.
Is E640 vegan or vegetarian?
Glycine and its sodium salt (E640) can be produced from plant, mineral, or animal-derived raw materials, and the ingredient list rarely states which source was used — so its vegan status genuinely depends on the specific product.
The production source can vary between manufacturers — the Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product. Always read the label for allergens.
Which foods contain E640?
E640 appears in 241 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Instant Noodles, Surimi / Crab Sticks, and Crab.
- Instant Noodles37
- Surimi / Crab Sticks28
- Crab28
- Chicken (General)12
- Protein Powder / Shake9
- Udon8
- Cakes7
- Crackers7
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E640 across the catalogue.
Counts reflect Forkin's independently enriched product catalogue and update as new products are added — they are not a market-share statistic.
Frequently asked questions about E640
- What is E640?
- E640 is the E-number for Glycine and its sodium salt, a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste of a food. Glycine and its sodium salt (E640) is a food additive used as a food additive.
- What is E640 used for?
- Glycine and its sodium salt (E640) is a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste of a food. Manufacturers add it during processing rather than for nutrition. The Forkin app shows which products in your scan history actually contain it.
- Which foods contain E640?
- E640 appears in 241 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Instant Noodles, Surimi / Crab Sticks, and Crab. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E640 vegan or vegetarian?
- Glycine and its sodium salt (E640) can be produced from plant, mineral, or animal-derived raw materials, and the ingredient list rarely states which source was used — so its vegan status genuinely depends on the specific product. The Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product, since the source can vary between manufacturers.
- Is E640 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E640 is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as ‘No known concern’ and does not make health claims — see the methodology page for how regulatory levels are assigned, and the Forkin app for the full profile, including acceptable daily intake (ADI) and restrictions by country.
See the full profile in Forkin
The Forkin app surfaces the full regulatory profile of E640 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan and vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.