Agar
Function: Carrier
E406 is the European food-additive number for Agar. Agar (E406) is a carrier used as a food additive.
Is E406 safe or restricted?
E406 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 E406 vegan or vegetarian?
Agar (E406) 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 E406?
E406 appears in 5,865 of the 4.6 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in pastry, cakes and jam / marmalade.
- Pastry376
- Cakes363
- Jam / Marmalade266
- Gelatin / Agar156
- Flavored Yogurt156
- Pudding / Flan150
- Plain Yogurt137
- Ice Cream118
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E406 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 E406
- What is E406?
- E406 is the E-number for Agar. Agar (E406) is a carrier used as a food additive.
- Which foods contain E406?
- E406 appears in 5,865 of the 4.6 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in pastry, cakes and jam / marmalade. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E406 vegan or vegetarian?
- Agar (E406) 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 E406 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E406 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 E406 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See how Forkin compares to other scanners or view pricing.