Alginic acid
Function: Carrier
E400 is the European food-additive number for Alginic acid. Alginic acid (E400) is a carrier used as a food additive.
Is E400 safe or restricted?
E400 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 regulatory flags” 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 E400 vegan or vegetarian?
Alginic acid (E400) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
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 E400?
E400 appears in 42 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in sausages, pastry and instant noodles.
- Sausages8
- Pastry5
- Instant Noodles4
- Cakes3
- Mousse1
- All-Purpose Flour1
- Coconut Milk (Canned)1
- Gyoza & Dumplings1
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E400 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 E400
- What is E400?
- E400 is the E-number for Alginic acid. Alginic acid (E400) is a carrier used as a food additive.
- Which foods contain E400?
- E400 appears in 42 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in sausages, pastry and instant noodles. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E400 vegan or vegetarian?
- Alginic acid (E400) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product, since the source can vary between manufacturers.
- Is E400 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E400 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 regulatory flags" 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 E400 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.