E-numbers explained: how EU food additives are approved, re-evaluated and banned
Few label features generate as much anxiety per character as an E-number — and few are as misunderstood. The “E” doesn't flag something to avoid; it certifies that the additive has been through the EU's evaluation machinery and is identified, authorised and condition-bound. Whether that authorisation should reassure you depends on the specific substance — which is exactly what this guide is about.
How the numbering works
The number encodes the additive's broad function. The ranges are a useful first read of any ingredient list:
| Range | Function | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| E100–E199 | Colours | E160c paprika extract, E171 titanium dioxide (now banned in food) |
| E200–E299 | Preservatives | E202 potassium sorbate, E250 sodium nitrite |
| E300–E399 | Antioxidants & acidity regulators | E300 vitamin C, E330 citric acid |
| E400–E499 | Thickeners, stabilisers, emulsifiers | E407 carrageenan, E471 mono-/diglycerides |
| E500–E599 | Acidity regulators & anti-caking | E500 baking soda, E509 calcium chloride |
| E600–E699 | Flavour enhancers | E621 monosodium glutamate |
| E900–E999 | Glazing agents & sweeteners | E951 aspartame, E950 acesulfame K |
| E1000+ | Modified starches & others | E1442 hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate |
Browse any range as a reference list in the additive index— each entry shows the function, the regulatory level, and how often it appears across Forkin's product catalogue.
The approval pipeline
Authorisation runs under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. In outline: a petitioner submits a toxicological dossier; the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) evaluates it and usually derives an acceptable daily intake; the European Commission and member states then decide the authorisation — including which food categoriesmay use it and at what maximum levels. An additive is never authorised “for food” in general.
Why approved additives still get re-examined
Authorisations are living decisions. EFSA completed a systematic re-evaluation programme of every pre-2009 additive, and the results show the system working in both directions:
- E171 (titanium dioxide) — after EFSA could no longer rule out genotoxicity in 2021, its food authorisation was removed EU-wide in 2022. It remains permitted in some other jurisdictions: bans are jurisdiction-specific.
- Phosphates (E338–E341, E450–E452)— re-evaluated in 2019 with a new group ADI; EFSA noted that estimated intakes can exceed it for high consumers, which is why phosphate additives carry an elevated level in Forkin's classification.
- Southampton colours (E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, E129) — still authorised, but products containing them must carry a warning about effects on activity and attention in children.
- Chloride salts (E507–E511) — re-confirmed in 2019 as of no safety concern; these include the coagulants that set tofu and cheese, a good example of additives that sound industrial but are traditional processing aids.
How Forkin classifies additives
Each additive page shows a regulatory level from “no regulatory flags” to “banned / severely restricted”. The levels are built from primary regulatory signals — EFSA re-evaluations and exposure assessments, IARC monograph classifications, the EU additive register, and national ban lists — and they describe what regulators have concluded, never a Forkin health claim. The weighting rubric is documented on the methodology page.
In the app, the additive load feeds a capped penalty in the product score (see how the Forkin score extends Nutri-Score), and each product page lists every detected additive with its level.
Reading an ingredient list without panic
- Count and function beat presence.One acidity regulator in canned tomatoes is routine; eight texture and colour additives in a dessert tell you about the formulation — that's also the signal the NOVA classification reads.
- Look the specific code uprather than reacting to “an E-number”: E300 is vitamin C; E330 is citric acid; they share a label format with substances under genuine regulatory scrutiny.
- Watch the categories you eat daily. ADIs are about chronic exposure, so an additive in your everyday bread matters more than the same additive in an occasional sauce.
Or skip the manual lookup: scanning a barcode in the Forkin app lists every additive in the product with its regulatory level, in two seconds.
Frequently asked questions
- Does an E-number mean an additive is safe?
- An E-number means the additive was evaluated and authorised for use in the EU, with conditions. Authorisations are living decisions: EFSA re-evaluates additives as new evidence arrives, and some authorisations have been tightened or withdrawn — titanium dioxide (E171) lost its food authorisation in 2022.
- What is an ADI (acceptable daily intake)?
- The quantity of an additive, per kilogram of body weight, that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without appreciable risk — derived from the most sensitive animal or human studies with a safety factor (typically 100×). Some additives have no numerical ADI because no concern was identified at any realistic intake.
- Are 'natural' additives safer than synthetic ones?
- Origin doesn't determine safety — regulators evaluate the substance, not its marketing. Vitamin C is E300 whether from oranges or a fermenter. Conversely, some plant-derived extracts carry stricter conditions than synthetic alternatives.
- Why do the same additives keep appearing together?
- Functional pairing: an emulsifier often travels with a stabiliser and an acidity regulator because the formulation problem they solve is shared. Each additive page on Forkin shows which additives most often co-occur with it across our product catalogue.
Put it into practice
Forkin applies everything in this guide automatically — scan any barcode and see the score, processing group, additives, and your allergens checked in one view. See pricing or compare Forkin to other scanners.