Food additive reference
Thickeners (E-numbers)
Thickeners increase viscosity without substantially changing other properties. Guar gum, xanthan gum and pectin are common examples.
28 additives in this category, grouped by regulatory level. Informational only — not medical or dietary advice; see the methodology.
- E400Alginic acidNo flags
- E401sodium alginateNo flags
- E402Potassium alginateNo flags
- E403Ammonium alginateNo flags
- E404Calcium alginateNo flags
- E405Propane-1‚2-diol alginateNo flags
- E407CarrageenanRestricted use
- E408Bakers yeast glycanNo flags
- E410Locust bean gumNo flags
- E412Guar gumNo flags
- E413TragacanthNo flags
- E415Xanthan gumNo flags
- E416Karaya-gumNo flags
- E417Tara gumNo flags
- E425KonjacNo flags
- E427Cassia gumNo flags
- E460CelluloseNo flags
- E461methyl celluloseNo flags
- E462Ethyl celluloseNo flags
- E463Hydroxypropyl celluloseNo flags
- E464Hydroxypropyl methyl celluloseNo flags
- E465Ethyl methyl celluloseNo flags
- E466Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC)No flags
- E467EthuloseNo flags
- E553Asynthetic magnesium silicatesNo flags
- E553AISynthetic magnesium silicateNo flags
- E553AIIMagnesium trisilicateNo flags
- E553BTalcNo flags
Questions about Thickeners
- What are Thickeners?
- Thickeners are a regulatory class of food additives. Their technological function is: increase viscosity and give body to food. In the EU, permitted uses are governed by Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008.
- Which E-numbers belong to Thickeners?
- Forkin tracks 28 additives in this category, including Alginic acid (E400), sodium alginate (E401), Potassium alginate (E402), Ammonium alginate (E403). This page lists their regulatory levels.
- Are Thickeners vegan?
- It depends on the individual additive and its source. The Forkin app shows product-specific vegan and vegetarian signals where available, based on ingredient and label data, rather than guessing from the category.
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