146 E numbers,decoded in plain English

Colour · Plant

Yellow pigment extracted from turmeric root.

Found in: Curry sauces, mustard, dairy desserts

Colour · Fermentation · also: Vitamin B2

A vitamin doing double duty as a yellow colour.

Found in: Breakfast cereals, processed cheese

Colour · Synthetic · also: Yellow 5

Azo dye linked to hyperactivity in children in the Southampton study. Carries a mandatory warning label in the EU.

Found in: Soft drinks, sweets, sauces

Colour · Synthetic

One of the Southampton six hyperactivity colours. Not permitted in food in the US.

Found in: Sweets, smoked fish, drinks

Colour · Synthetic · also: Yellow 6

Southampton six azo dye with an EU hyperactivity warning label.

Found in: Orange squash, sweets, sauces

Colour · Animal · also: Cochineal, carminic acid

Red pigment made from crushed cochineal insects. Can trigger rare but serious allergic reactions. Not vegetarian.

Found in: Red sweets, yoghurts, cocktails

Colour · Synthetic · also: Azorubine

Southampton six azo dye. Not permitted in food in the US.

Found in: Jellies, sweets, cake mixes

Colour · Synthetic

Southampton six azo dye. Not permitted in food in the US.

Found in: Tinned fruit, jelly, salami casing

Colour · Synthetic · also: Red 3

Caused thyroid tumours in rats. The US FDA revoked its food authorisation in January 2025.

Found in: Cocktail and glacé cherries

Colour · Synthetic · also: Red 40

The most-used red azo dye and one of the Southampton six.

Found in: Red drinks, sweets, snacks

Colour · Synthetic

Rare allergic reactions reported. Not permitted in food in the US.

Found in: Scotch eggs, blue sweets

Colour · Synthetic · also: Blue 2

Synthetic version of indigo dye with occasional sensitivity reports.

Found in: Sweets, ice cream, biscuits

Colour · Synthetic · also: Blue 1

Synthetic blue dye, usually paired with tartrazine to make greens.

Found in: Canned peas, slush drinks, icing

Colour · Plant

The green pigment from plants.

Found in: Green pasta, oils, chewing gum

Colour · Plant

Chlorophyll stabilised with copper for a longer-lasting green.

Found in: Mint sauce, green sweets

Colour · Synthetic

Synthetic green dye. Not permitted in the US, Canada or Japan.

Found in: Mint jelly, tinned peas

Colour · Plant

Made by heating sugar, the most benign of the four caramels.

Found in: Gravy browning, whisky, bread

Colour · Synthetic

Processed with ammonia and can contain the by-product 4-MEI, which regulators monitor.

Found in: Beer, sauces, bakery goods

Colour · Synthetic

The cola caramel. Also monitored for the by-product 4-MEI.

Found in: Cola, dark soft drinks, vinegar

Colour · Plant

Charcoal black. Permitted in the EU, not as a food colour in the US.

Found in: Liquorice, burger buns, cheese rind

Colour · Plant

The orange pigment from carrots, a vitamin A precursor.

Found in: Margarine, cheese, drinks

Colour · Plant · also: Bixin, norbixin

Natural orange colour from achiote seeds with more sensitivity reports than most natural colours.

Found in: Red Leicester, snacks, custard

Colour · Plant

Red-orange colour extracted from sweet peppers.

Found in: Crisps, sausages, soups

Colour · Plant

Yellow pigment from marigolds, also sold as an eye-health supplement.

Found in: Sauces, bakery, drinks

Colour · Plant · also: Betanin

Pink-red colour from beetroot juice.

Found in: Ice cream, yoghurts, sweets

Colour · Plant

Purple-red pigments from grape skins and berries.

Found in: Jams, drinks, yoghurts

Colour · Mineral · also: Chalk

Food-grade chalk, used as a white colour and calcium source.

Found in: White bread flour, gum, supplements

Colour · Mineral

Banned in EU food since 2022 after EFSA could not rule out genotoxicity from nanoparticles. Still allowed in the US.

Found in: White coatings, sweets, gum (non-EU)

Colour · Mineral

Rust-based pigments for red, yellow and black shades.

Found in: Salmon paste, sweets, coatings

Colour · Mineral

Metallic surface colour only. Aluminium intake is monitored by EFSA.

Found in: Cake decorations

Colour · Mineral

Metallic decoration. Fine in tiny amounts, no nutritional business being in food.

Found in: Sugared almonds, cake decorations

Colour · Mineral

Inert metallic decoration that passes straight through you.

Found in: Luxury sweets, drinks flakes

Preservative · Synthetic

One of the mildest and best-tested preservatives.

Found in: Cheese, wine, baked goods

Preservative · Synthetic

The salt form of sorbic acid, very widely used and well tolerated.

Found in: Dried fruit, dips, soft cheese

Preservative · Synthetic

Can trigger hives and asthma in sensitive people, and can form traces of benzene alongside vitamin C.

Found in: Pickles, sauces, soft drinks

Preservative · Synthetic

The most common benzoate. Same benzene-with-vitamin-C note, and it featured in the Southampton hyperactivity study.

Found in: Fizzy drinks, salad dressings

Preservative · Synthetic

Benzoate salt with the same sensitivities as E211.

Found in: Diet drinks, syrups

Preservative · Synthetic

A declared allergen that can trigger asthma and destroys thiamine (vitamin B1) in food.

Found in: Dried fruit, wine, sausages

Preservative · Synthetic

Sulphite salt, same allergen labelling rules as E220.

Found in: Frozen prawns, dried vegetables

Preservative · Synthetic

Common sulphite in burgers and wine, an asthma trigger for sensitive people.

Found in: Burgers, wine, dried fruit

Preservative · Synthetic

Winemaking sulphite with the standard sulphite cautions.

Found in: Wine, cider, fruit juice

Preservative · Fermentation

Antifungal applied to surfaces only, made by fermentation.

Found in: Cheese rind, cured sausage surface

Preservative · Synthetic

Curing salt that can form nitrosamines, the compounds behind the processed-meat cancer classification.

Found in: Cured meats

Preservative · Synthetic

The main curing salt in bacon and ham. Nitrosamine formation is why the WHO classes processed meat as carcinogenic.

Found in: Bacon, ham, hot dogs, salami

Preservative · Synthetic

Converts to nitrite during curing, with the same nitrosamine concern.

Found in: Cured meats, some cheeses

Preservative · Synthetic · also: Saltpetre

Traditional curing salt, same story as E251.

Found in: Cured meats, charcuterie

Preservative · Fermentation · also: Vinegar

The acid in vinegar.

Found in: Pickles, sauces, dressings

Preservative · Fermentation

The acid that makes yoghurt and sourdough tangy, made by fermentation.

Found in: Yoghurt, olives, sourdough

Preservative · Synthetic

Mould inhibitor with a solid safety record. Safe, but a reliable sign of factory bread.

Found in: Packaged sliced bread, wraps

Gas · Synthetic

The fizz in fizzy drinks.

Found in: Carbonated drinks, packaging

Acid · Synthetic

The sour taste of green apples, made industrially for sour sweets.

Found in: Sour sweets, drinks, jams

Antioxidant · Fermentation · also: Vitamin C

Vitamin C, used to stop cut fruit and dough going brown.

Found in: Juices, bread, cured meats

Antioxidant · Synthetic

Salt form of vitamin C.

Found in: Cured meats, cereals

Antioxidant · Synthetic

Fat-soluble vitamin C for protecting oils.

Found in: Oils, margarine, snacks

Antioxidant · Plant · also: Vitamin E

Vitamin E extracted from vegetable oils.

Found in: Oils, cereals, baby food

Antioxidant · Synthetic · also: Tert-butylhydroquinone

Petroleum-derived antioxidant with tumour findings in high-dose rodent studies and emerging immune-effect research.

Found in: Instant noodles, crisps, frying oils

Antioxidant · Synthetic · also: Butylated hydroxyanisole

Classified by IARC as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B).

Found in: Chewing gum, snacks, fats

Antioxidant · Synthetic · also: Butylated hydroxytoluene

BHA's cousin with mixed evidence; some manufacturers have quietly dropped it.

Found in: Cereals, gum, packaging

Emulsifier · Plant · also: Soy or sunflower lecithin

Natural emulsifier from soy beans or sunflower seeds, among the most benign emulsifiers.

Found in: Chocolate, margarine, baking

Acidity regulator · Fermentation

Salt of lactic acid, keeps meat moist and safe.

Found in: Cooked meats, cheese

Acid · Fermentation

The most common additive on Earth. Made by fermenting a mould, not squeezed from lemons, but chemically identical and safe.

Found in: Almost everything sour or preserved

Acidity regulator · Synthetic

Salts of citric acid; also what makes smooth melting cheese possible.

Found in: Processed cheese, drinks, jams

Acid · Plant

The grape acid, a winemaking by-product.

Found in: Baking powder, sweets, wine

Acidity regulator · Plant · also: Cream of tartar

Home-baking staple from wine barrels.

Found in: Baking powder, meringues

Acid · Synthetic

The bite in cola. High phosphate intake from additives is under scrutiny for bone and kidney health.

Found in: Cola, processed cheese

Acidity regulator · Synthetic

Phosphate salts; additive phosphates absorb far more readily than natural ones.

Found in: Processed meats, cheese, bakery

Acidity regulator · Synthetic

Same phosphate-load caution as E339.

Found in: Coffee whitener, sports drinks

Raising agent · Mineral

Raising agent and anti-caking phosphate, part of the same additive-phosphate picture.

Found in: Baking powder, flour, cereals

Sequestrant · Synthetic

Locks up trace metals so sauces keep their colour. Safe at permitted doses but a purely industrial ingredient.

Found in: Mayonnaise, canned pulses, dressings

Antioxidant · Plant

Antioxidant extracted from rosemary leaves, increasingly replacing BHA and BHT.

Found in: Oils, crisps, meat products

Thickener · Plant

Gelling fibre from brown seaweed.

Found in: Ice cream, sauces, desserts

Thickener · Plant

Seaweed salt used for gels and the spherification trick.

Found in: Ice cream, restructured foods

Gelling agent · Plant

Seaweed gel, the vegetarian gelatine.

Found in: Desserts, icing, Asian sweets

Thickener · Plant

Seaweed thickener with a long-running scientific debate about gut inflammation. EFSA re-approved it but tightened specifications.

Found in: Plant milks, cream, cooked meats

Thickener · Plant

Semi-refined carrageenan, same debate as E407.

Found in: Cheap jellies, dairy drinks

Thickener · Plant · also: Carob gum

Ground carob seeds, a gentle thickener even in baby milk.

Found in: Ice cream, cream cheese, infant formula

Thickener · Plant

Ground guar beans. Large amounts can cause wind, otherwise benign.

Found in: Gluten-free baking, sauces, ice cream

Thickener · Plant

Tree sap gum used since antiquity.

Found in: Cake decorating, sauces

Thickener · Plant · also: Acacia gum

Acacia tree sap, mostly soluble fibre.

Found in: Wine gums, soft drinks, glazes

Thickener · Fermentation

Fermentation gum that holds gluten-free baking together. Benign, but rarely found outside industrial recipes.

Found in: Gluten-free bread, dressings, sauces

Gelling agent · Fermentation

Fermentation-derived gel, common in plant milks.

Found in: Plant milks, desserts

Sweetener · Plant

Sugar alcohol about half as sweet as sugar. Well known for laxative effects above modest amounts.

Found in: Sugar-free gum, diabetic sweets

Sweetener · Plant

Sugar alcohol with the strongest laxative effect of the polyols.

Found in: Sugar-free sweets, coatings

Humectant · Plant · also: Glycerine

Keeps food moist; a by-product of fat processing.

Found in: Cake icing, protein bars, liqueurs

Emulsifier · Synthetic

Synthetic emulsifier shown to disturb the gut microbiome and gut lining in animal studies. Human trials are ongoing.

Found in: Ice cream, sauces, bakery

Emulsifier · Synthetic

Close relative of polysorbate 80 with the same research questions.

Found in: Cake mixes, imitation cream

Gelling agent · Plant

The apple and citrus fibre that sets jam.

Found in: Jam, fruit gums, yoghurts

Raising agent · Synthetic

Workhorse raising agent, part of the additive-phosphate load question.

Found in: Self-raising flour, sausages, frozen chips

Stabiliser · Synthetic

Helps meat and fish hold water. Same phosphate caution, and a sign of processed meat.

Found in: Ham, frozen fish, seafood

Stabiliser · Synthetic

Water-binding phosphates, common in cheap frozen seafood.

Found in: Frozen prawns, processed cheese

Bulking agent · Plant

Purified plant fibre, essentially refined wood pulp or cotton fibre.

Found in: Grated cheese, low-calorie foods

Thickener · Synthetic

Chemically modified cellulose that gels when hot. The binder behind many meat substitutes.

Found in: Plant-based burgers, gluten-free bakery

Thickener · Synthetic · also: HPMC

Modified cellulose used where gluten is missing.

Found in: Gluten-free bread, coatings

Thickener · Synthetic · also: Cellulose gum, CMC

Modified cellulose that reduced microbiome diversity in a small human trial. One of the most-studied emulsifiers right now.

Found in: Ice cream, dietary drinks, bakery

Emulsifier · Plant

The most common emulsifier in the world, usually from palm oil, occasionally from animal fat. Can carry trace trans fats.

Found in: Bread, margarine, ice cream, cakes

Emulsifier · Synthetic

Dough strengthener that gives factory bread its uniform crumb.

Found in: Packaged bread, buns, croissants

Emulsifier · Synthetic

Sugar-based emulsifier included in current microbiome research on emulsifiers.

Found in: Bakery, dairy drinks, sweets

Emulsifier · Synthetic

Cake-aeration emulsifier, industrial only.

Found in: Cake mixes, whipped toppings

Emulsifier · Synthetic · also: Polyglycerol polyricinoleate

Lets chocolate makers use less cocoa butter. A reliable marker of cheaper chocolate.

Found in: Budget chocolate, spreads

Emulsifier · Synthetic

Dough conditioner in industrial baking.

Found in: Packaged bread, tortillas, crackers

Emulsifier · Synthetic

Synthetic wax-like emulsifier, often paired with polysorbates.

Found in: Dried yeast, cake toppings

Raising agent · Mineral · also: Bicarbonate of soda

Baking soda.

Found in: Baking, effervescent drinks

Acidity regulator · Mineral

Potassium cousin of baking soda.

Found in: Cocoa processing, noodles

Raising agent · Synthetic · also: Baker's ammonia

Traditional raising agent for thin crisp biscuits; bakes off completely.

Found in: Biscuits, crackers

Anti-caking agent · Mineral

Keeps powders free-flowing.

Found in: Table salt, icing sugar

Salt substitute · Mineral

The standard low-sodium salt replacer. Useful, slightly bitter.

Found in: Reduced-salt products, stocks

Firming agent · Mineral

Keeps canned vegetables firm; also used in cheesemaking.

Found in: Canned tomatoes, pickles, cheese

Firming agent · Mineral · also: Nigari

The traditional tofu coagulant.

Found in: Tofu, coconut waters

Firming agent · Mineral

Food-grade gypsum, another tofu coagulant and flour treatment.

Found in: Tofu, bread flour

Acidity regulator · Synthetic · also: Lye

Gives pretzels their mahogany crust; fully reacted by the time you eat it.

Found in: Pretzels, olives, cocoa

Anti-caking agent · Mineral · also: Silica

Keeps powders flowing. Under EFSA re-evaluation over nanoparticle content.

Found in: Spice mixes, coffee whitener, salt

Anti-caking agent · Mineral

Free-flow agent for powders.

Found in: Table salt, spice blends

Anti-caking agent · Mineral

Food-grade talc. Fine in food amounts, but a mineral with a complicated reputation.

Found in: Rice polishing, chewing gum

Acidity regulator · Fermentation

Slow-release acid used in silken tofu and cured meats.

Found in: Silken tofu, cured meats, bakery

Flavour enhancer · Fermentation

The pure umami amino acid. Safe, but its presence means the recipe needed a flavour boost.

Found in: Savoury snacks, seasonings

Flavour enhancer · Fermentation · also: MSG

Extensively studied and safe for the vast majority. The caution is what it signals: heavily engineered flavour, and a strong ultra-processed marker.

Found in: Crisps, instant noodles, stock cubes

Flavour enhancer · Fermentation

Umami amplifier usually paired with MSG. People with gout are told to limit purines like this.

Found in: Instant noodles, snacks, sauces

Flavour enhancer · Fermentation

MSG's other sidekick, same purine note.

Found in: Crisps, seasoning powders

Flavour enhancer · Fermentation

E627 and E631 blended; the strongest umami combination available.

Found in: Instant soups, flavoured snacks

Anti-foaming agent · Synthetic

Silicone oil that stops frying oil foaming. Inert, but pure industrial kitchen.

Found in: Fast-food frying oil, syrups

Glazing agent · Animal

Natural shine for sweets and fruit. Not vegan.

Found in: Jelly sweets, fruit coating

Glazing agent · Plant

Palm-leaf wax, the shine on chocolate beans and car polish alike.

Found in: Chocolate sweets, gum, fruit

Glazing agent · Animal

Resin secreted by lac insects. Safe, but neither vegetarian nor vegan.

Found in: Glazed sweets, coffee beans, fruit

Flour treatment · Animal

Dough relaxer historically made from feathers or hair, now often fermented. Safety is fine; provenance is worth knowing.

Found in: Industrial bread, pizza bases

Packaging gas · Synthetic

Inert gas that keeps bags of crisps fresh (and puffy).

Found in: Crisp packets, coffee, nitro drinks

Propellant · Synthetic

The whipped-cream propellant.

Found in: Squirty cream

Sweetener · Synthetic

Intense sweetener usually blended with others. Long approval record, ongoing research on metabolic and microbiome effects.

Found in: Diet drinks, sugar-free gum

Sweetener · Synthetic

IARC listed it as possibly carcinogenic (2B) in 2023 while JECFA kept the existing intake limit. People with PKU must avoid it.

Found in: Diet drinks, yoghurts, gum

Sweetener · Synthetic

Banned in the US since 1970 on since-disputed evidence, still permitted in the EU.

Found in: Table-top sweeteners, squash

Sweetener · Plant

Sugar alcohol beloved of sugar-free boiled sweets. Polyol laxative effect applies.

Found in: Sugar-free sweets, showpieces

Sweetener · Synthetic

The oldest artificial sweetener. The 1970s cancer scare was retracted, microbiome questions remain.

Found in: Table-top sweeteners, drinks

Sweetener · Synthetic

Chlorinated sugar 600 times sweeter than sugar. Recent research flags heating breakdown products and microbiome effects.

Found in: Diet drinks, protein powders, bakery

Sweetener · Plant

A sweet protein from the katemfe fruit, used in tiny amounts.

Found in: Chewing gum, flavourings

Sweetener · Plant · also: Stevia

Refined from stevia leaves. The best safety record among the intense sweeteners.

Found in: Reduced-sugar drinks, desserts

Sweetener · Synthetic

Aspartame's stronger successor, up to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar.

Found in: Drinks, gum, bakery

Sweetener · Plant

The sugar-free chocolate polyol, infamous for digestive consequences.

Found in: Sugar-free chocolate, protein bars

Sweetener · Animal

Milk-derived polyol, also prescribed as a laxative, which tells you something.

Found in: Sugar-free bakery, chocolate

Sweetener · Plant

Good for teeth, harsh on digestion, and a 2024 study flagged a cardiovascular association worth watching. Extremely toxic to dogs.

Found in: Chewing gum, dental products, sweets

Sweetener · Fermentation

Gentlest polyol on digestion, but 2023 research linked high blood levels to cardiovascular events. More studies are underway.

Found in: Keto products, zero-sugar drinks

Foaming agent · Plant

Soap-bark extract that gives ginger beer its head.

Found in: Ginger beer, soft drinks

Modified starch · Plant

Starch treated to thicken more reliably. Safe, but modified starches are classic ultra-processed markers.

Found in: Sauces, soups, batters

Modified starch · Plant

Freeze-thaw stable starch for ready meals.

Found in: Frozen ready meals, pie fillings

Modified starch · Plant

The ready-meal starch: survives heating, stirring and freezing.

Found in: Ready meals, yoghurts, sauces

Modified starch · Plant

Heavily modified starch for extreme processing conditions.

Found in: Instant desserts, canned soups

Modified starch · Plant · also: OSA starch

Starch modified to behave like an emulsifier.

Found in: Drink powders, dressings, flavourings

Humectant · Synthetic

Solvent and moisture-keeper with a firm EFSA intake limit; heavy flavouring use can approach it.

Found in: Flavourings, icing, vape-adjacent products