Food additive reference
Emulsifiers (E-numbers)
Emulsifiers help ingredients that normally separate — like oil and water — stay mixed. Lecithins (E322) and mono- and diglycerides (E471) are among the most common.
120 additives in this class, grouped by regulatory level. Informational only — not medical or dietary advice; see the methodology.
- E1001Choline saltNo regulatory flags
- E1201PolyvinylpyrrolidoneNo regulatory flags
- E1401Acid-treated modified starchNo regulatory flags
- E1402Alkaline modified starchNo regulatory flags
- E1403Bleached starchNo regulatory flags
- E1404Oxidised starchNo regulatory flags
- E1405Enzyme treated starchNo regulatory flags
- E1410Monostarch phosphateNo regulatory flags
- E1411Distarch glycerolNo regulatory flags
- E1412Distarch phosphateNo regulatory flags
- E1413Phosphated distarch phosphateNo regulatory flags
- E1414Acetylated distarch phosphateNo regulatory flags
- E1420Acetylated starchNo regulatory flags
- E1421Acetylated starchNo regulatory flags
- E1422Acetylated distarch adipateNo regulatory flags
- E1423Acetylated distarch glycerolNo regulatory flags
- E1430Distarch glycerineNo regulatory flags
- E1440Hydroxypropyl starchNo regulatory flags
- E1441Hydroxy propyl distarch glycerineNo regulatory flags
- E1442Hydroxypropyl distarch phosphateNo regulatory flags
- E1443Hydroxy propyl distarch glycerolNo regulatory flags
- E1450Starch sodium octenyl succinateNo regulatory flags
- E1451Acetylated oxidised starchNo regulatory flags
- E1452Starch aluminium octenyl succinateNo regulatory flags
- E1520Propylene GlycolNo regulatory flags
- E331Sodium citratesNo regulatory flags
- E331IMonosodium citrateNo regulatory flags
- E331IIDisodium citrateNo regulatory flags
- E339IMonosodium phosphateUnder monitoring
- E339IIDisodium phosphateUnder monitoring
- E339IIITrisodium phosphateUnder monitoring
- E340Potassium phosphatesRestricted use
- E340IMonopotassium phosphateUnder monitoring
- E340IIDipotassium phosphateUnder monitoring
- E340IIITripotassium phosphateUnder monitoring
- E341IMonocalcium phosphateUnder monitoring
- E341IIDicalcium phosphateUnder monitoring
- E407CarrageenanRestricted use
- E407AProcessed Eucheuma SeaweedRegulatory attention
- E410Locust bean gumNo regulatory flags
- E412Guar gumNo regulatory flags
- E413TragacanthNo regulatory flags
- E415Xanthan gumNo regulatory flags
- E416Karaya-gumNo regulatory flags
- E427Cassia gumNo regulatory flags
- E430Polyoxyethylene (8) stearateNo regulatory flags
- E431Polyoxyethylene (40) stearateNo regulatory flags
- E432Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurateRegulatory attention
- E433Polysorbate 80Regulatory attention
- E434Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monopalmitateRegulatory attention
- E435Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearateRegulatory attention
- E436Polyoxyethylene sorbitan tristearateRegulatory attention
- E440PectinsNo regulatory flags
- E440APectinNo regulatory flags
- E440AIISodium pectateNo regulatory flags
- E440AIIIPotassium pectateNo regulatory flags
- E440AIVAmmonium PectateNo regulatory flags
- E440Bpectin amideNo regulatory flags
- E440Inon-amidated pectinesNo regulatory flags
- E440IIAmidated pectinNo regulatory flags
- E442Ammonium phosphatidesNo regulatory flags
- E444Sucrose acetate isobutyrateNo regulatory flags
- E445Glycerol esters of wood rosinNo regulatory flags
- E450DiphosphatesRestricted use
- E450IDisodium diphosphateUnder monitoring
- E450IITrisodium diphosphateUnder monitoring
- E450IIITetrasodium diphosphateUnder monitoring
- E450IVdipotassium dihydrogenpyrophosphateNo regulatory flags
- E450VTetrapotassium diphosphateUnder monitoring
- E450VIDicalcium diphosphateUnder monitoring
- E450VIICalcium dihydrogen diphosphateUnder monitoring
- E450VIIIDiphosphate (variant viii)No regulatory flags
- E451TriphosphatesRestricted use
- E451IPentasodium triphosphateUnder monitoring
- E451IIPentapotassium triphosphateUnder monitoring
- E452PolyphosphatesRestricted use
- E452ISodium polyphosphateUnder monitoring
- E452IIPotassium polyphosphateUnder monitoring
- E452IIISodium calcium polyphosphateUnder monitoring
- E452IVCalcium polyphosphateUnder monitoring
- E452VAmmonium polyphosphateNo regulatory flags
- E452VISodium tripolyphosphateNo regulatory flags
- E461methyl celluloseNo regulatory flags
- E463Hydroxypropyl celluloseNo regulatory flags
- E464Hydroxypropyl methyl celluloseNo regulatory flags
- E465Ethyl methyl celluloseNo regulatory flags
- E466Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC)Under monitoring
- E467EthuloseNo regulatory flags
- E470Sodium/potassium/calcium and magnesium salts of fatty acidsNo regulatory flags
- E470ASodium/potassium and calcium salts of fatty acidsNo regulatory flags
- E470AISodium salts of fatty acidsNo regulatory flags
- E470AIIPotassium salts of fatty acidsNo regulatory flags
- E470AIIICalcium salts of fatty acidsNo regulatory flags
- E470BMagnesium salts of fatty acidsNo regulatory flags
- E471Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty AcidsNo regulatory flags
- E472AAcetic Acid Esters of Mono- and DiglyceridesNo regulatory flags
- E472BLactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acidsNo regulatory flags
- E472EMono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acidsUnder monitoring
- E473Sucrose esters of fatty acidsRegulatory attention
- E473AOligoesters of sucrose type INo regulatory flags
- E474SucroglyceridesUnder monitoring
- E475Polyglycerol esters of fatty acidsUnder monitoring
- E476Polyglycerol polyricinoleateNo regulatory flags
- E477Propane-1‚2-diol esters of fatty acidsNo regulatory flags
- E479BThermally oxidised soya bean oil interacted with mono- and diglycerides of fatty acidsNo regulatory flags
- E481Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylateRegulatory attention
- E482Calcium stearoyl-2-lactylateRegulatory attention
- E491Sorbitan monostearateRegulatory attention
- E492Sorbitan tristearateRegulatory attention
- E493Sorbitan monolaurateRegulatory attention
- E494Sorbitan monooleateRegulatory attention
- E495Sorbitan monopalmitateRegulatory attention
- E541Sodium aluminium phosphateUnder monitoring
- E541IAcid sodium aluminium phosphateNo regulatory flags
- E541IIAlkaline sodium aluminium phosphateNo regulatory flags
- E542Bone phosphateNo regulatory flags
- E900ADimethyl polysiloxaneNo regulatory flags
- E965ID-MaltitolNo regulatory flags
- E965IIMaltitol syrupNo regulatory flags
- E999Quillaia extractRegulatory attention
Questions about emulsifiers
- What are emulsifiers?
- Emulsifiers are food additives that act as emulsifier — helps ingredients that normally separate, like oil and water, stay mixed. In the EU they are identified by E-numbers and approved under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008.
- Which E-numbers are emulsifiers?
- Forkin tracks 120 emulsifiers — for example Choline salt (E1001), Polyvinylpyrrolidone (E1201), Acid-treated modified starch (E1401), Alkaline modified starch (E1402). The full list with each one's regulatory level is on this page.
- Are emulsifiers vegan?
- It depends on the individual additive and its source — many can be produced from plant, mineral or animal-derived raw materials, and the label rarely says which. The Forkin app shows verified vegan and vegetarian status per product.
Check what's in your food with Forkin
Scan any barcode and Forkin flags the emulsifiers and other additives a product contains, with each one's regulatory level. See how Forkin compares to other scanners or view pricing.