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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