Thickeners: The Additives That Give Food Its Body and Consistency
Thickeners in Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 – definition, function and the authorised E-number list, by InfoCons
The additives that add body without extra calories – InfoCons Consumer Protection
The rich body of a sauce, the cling of a salad dressing, the creamy feel of a low-fat yoghurt – much of this comes from thickeners. Thickeners are one of the twenty-seven functional categories in Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, used to increase the viscosity of a food. This InfoCons – Consumer Protection article explains what thickeners are, what they do, and lists authorised substances used in this class.
Thickeners give foods a fuller, more satisfying texture, often using tiny quantities of substances that absorb water and build viscosity. They are especially valuable in reduced-fat and reduced-sugar products, where they help restore the body that fat or sugar would otherwise provide.
What the law says: the definition – InfoCons Consumer Protection
According to Annex I of the regulation, thickeners are substances that increase the viscosity of a food. In practical terms, they make a food thicker and more resistant to flow, giving it body, cling and a richer mouthfeel.
Like all additives, thickeners must be safe at the levels used, meet a genuine technological need and not mislead the consumer. Most thickeners are natural hydrocolloids – gums, pectins, celluloses and modified starches – that swell in water to build viscosity.
What they do in your food – InfoCons Consumer Protection
Thickeners give body to soups, sauces, dressings, dairy products, desserts and drinks, and they help suspend particles, prevent separation and improve mouthfeel. Because they work at low concentrations and add little energy, they are central to many reduced-fat and light products.
The class overlaps heavily with stabilisers and gelling agents. It includes seaweed extracts such as alginates, agar and carrageenan; seed and tree gums such as locust bean, guar, xanthan and gum arabic; pectins from fruit; celluloses; and modified starches.
The authorised substances: E numbers and names – InfoCons Consumer Protection
The following substances are among those authorised for use as thickeners in the Union list, each identified by its E number and name; many also act as stabilisers or gelling agents:
E 400 – Alginic acid
E 401 – Sodium alginate
E 402 – Potassium alginate
E 403 – Ammonium alginate
E 404 – Calcium alginate
E 405 – Propane-1,2-diol alginate
E 406 – Agar
E 407 – Carrageenan
E 410 – Locust bean gum
E 412 – Guar gum
E 413 – Tragacanth
E 414 – Gum arabic (acacia gum)
E 415 – Xanthan gum
E 417 – Tara gum
E 418 – Gellan gum
E 425 – Konjac
E 440 – Pectins
E 460 – Cellulose
E 461 – Methyl cellulose
E 463 – Hydroxypropyl cellulose
E 464 – Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose
E 465 – Ethyl methyl cellulose
E 466 – Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose
Xanthan gum (E 415), guar gum (E 412) and the celluloses are among the most widely used thickeners. Many of these hydrocolloids also appear as stabilisers or gelling agents, and modified starches (the E 1400 series) perform a thickening role in many foods as well.
This category and the informed consumer – InfoCons Consumer Protection
Thickeners explain the satisfying body and texture of many everyday foods, and most are natural hydrocolloids used in small amounts. Recognising them on a label helps consumers understand how a product achieves its consistency, especially in lighter, reduced-fat options.
InfoCons – Consumer Protection returns to the cumulative theme: thickeners rarely appear alone, often accompanying stabilisers, gelling agents and modified starches. Seeing the total number of additives across the basket and the meal gives the clearest picture of one's intake.
How much may be used: conditions, limits and quantum satis – InfoCons Consumer Protection
Being authorised is only the beginning. Under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, every thickener may be used only in the specific food categories set out in the Union list and only under the conditions attached to each entry. For many substances the list sets a numerical maximum level, expressed in milligrams per kilogram of food; for others it applies the quantum satis principle, meaning no fixed numerical limit is set and the substance must be used in accordance with good manufacturing practice, at no more than the level needed to achieve the intended effect, and without misleading the consumer.
The regulation also requires that the amount used be limited to the lowest level necessary to obtain the desired technological effect. Where maximum levels apply, they take into account the acceptable daily intake established for the substance and the likely intake from all dietary sources, including for special groups such as children. As a rule, maximum levels apply to the food as marketed, with a specific adjustment for dehydrated or concentrated foods that must be reconstituted before consumption.
For the consumer, this means that the presence of a thickener on a label does not imply it can be used without limit. On the contrary, its use is bounded by category, by purpose and, in many cases, by a precise maximum. InfoCons – Consumer Protection considers these conditions of use one of the most important, and least understood, protections in the whole system.
Safety first: assessment, ADI and re-evaluation – InfoCons Consumer Protection
No thickener reaches the Union list without first being assessed as safe at its proposed levels of use, on the basis of the available scientific evidence. For many additives, scientific bodies establish an acceptable daily intake, or ADI – an estimate of the amount that can be consumed every day over a lifetime without appreciable risk. The conditions of use are then set so that realistic consumption across the whole diet is expected to remain within this safe boundary.
Crucially, authorisation is not permanent and untouchable. The European Union has committed to a systematic re-evaluation of previously approved additives by the European Food Safety Authority in the light of current scientific knowledge. Producers and users are also legally obliged to report immediately any new scientific or technical information that might affect an additive safety assessment. Together, these mechanisms mean that each thickener remains under review and its authorisation can be maintained, tightened or withdrawn as the evidence evolves.
InfoCons – Consumer Protection views this combination of prior assessment and continuous re-evaluation as the backbone of consumer confidence. It allows consumers to treat an authorised additive as one that has been vetted, while understanding that the system remains vigilant rather than complacent.
How this class is shown on the label – InfoCons Consumer Protection
On an ordinary retail food, a thickener is declared in the ingredient list using the name of its functional class followed by either the specific name of the substance or its E number. So you might see the functional class named, and then a substance name or an E code such as a number in the relevant series. This dual system means that even if you do not recognise a chemical name, the functional word already tells you the job the substance performs, while the E number lets you identify it precisely and consistently across languages and countries.
This labelling rule is what makes a thickener visible to you in the first place. European law does not permit such substances to be used silently; when present and performing a technological function, they must be declared. The transparency is built in, and it applies equally to well-known and to obscure substances. The practical challenge for the consumer is simply to read and interpret the declaration quickly, which is exactly where clear knowledge of the functional classes, and simple digital tools, make all the difference.
It is also worth knowing that the same substance can appear under different functional descriptions on different products, because many additives are multifunctional. The functional word on a specific label always tells you the role the substance is playing in that particular food, even if the same E number does a different job elsewhere.
Natural, nature-identical or synthetic? – InfoCons Consumer Protection
A common misunderstanding is that every E number denotes an artificial chemical. In reality, additives within a single functional class can come from very different origins: some are extracted from natural sources, some are nature-identical versions of substances found in nature, and some are produced synthetically. The E number identifies the substance and confirms it is authorised; it does not, on its own, tell you whether the source is natural or synthetic.
This matters because consumers often have legitimate preferences about origin, whether for dietary, ethical or personal reasons. Reading the specific name behind the functional class – not just the fact that a thickener is present – is what allows an informed choice. InfoCons – Consumer Protection encourages consumers to look past the general fear of E numbers and to focus instead on the specific substances and their documented roles.
Smart shopping: putting this category in perspective – InfoCons Consumer Protection
The practical takeaway for shoppers is neither alarm nor indifference, but attention. Knowing what a thickener does, recognising it on a label, and understanding that its use is limited by law allows you to judge products calmly and compare them meaningfully. Two similar products can differ substantially in how many additives they contain, and the more informed you are, the easier it is to choose according to your own priorities.
It is also worth remembering that a thickener never acts in isolation on the shelf. Products are formulated as whole recipes, and the same food may combine this class with colours, preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilisers and others, each performing its own job. Comparing similar products side by side often reveals striking differences: one may rely on a long list of additives while another achieves a similar result with only a few. This variety is precisely what gives the informed consumer room to choose.
Above all, InfoCons – Consumer Protection emphasises the cumulative picture. A single product may contain several additives, the same additive may recur across many products in your basket, and a single meal can bring together additives from several sources at once. The real question is therefore not only what each label says, but how many additives you accumulate across your whole shopping and across your day. That is the perspective that turns label-reading into genuine control over your diet, and it is the personal layer of protection that the law itself cannot provide for you.
The InfoCons Additives Calculator: how many additives are really in your basket? – InfoCons Consumer Protection
Understanding the law is one thing; seeing what it means for your own shopping basket is another. A single processed product can contain several additives at once, and an ordinary weekly shop can add up to dozens or even hundreds of additive occurrences once you sum every product together. What is more, the same additive can appear in many different products in the same basket, which means it enters the consumer’s diet repeatedly.
To answer this, InfoCons – Consumer Protection offers consumers the Only Additives Calculator for the food products bought or consumed. It is the only calculator for food shopping that shows the number of additives present and how many times a given additive is found in the shopping basket. Instead of looking at each product in isolation, the consumer gets a complete picture of the whole basket, seeing the real, cumulative number of additives being purchased.
The same logic applies to a single meal. A breakfast, a lunch or a dinner can bring together several processed products, each with its own set of additives. When these products are eaten together, the additives add up. A seemingly simple meal can, in reality, mean the simultaneous consumption of a surprisingly large number of food additives – colours, preservatives, emulsifiers, flavour enhancers, stabilizers and more. That is why the question “how many additives do I consume at one meal?” is just as important as “how many additives am I buying?”
As a practical solution, the InfoCons application helps consumers identify additives quickly. By scanning the barcode of an agri-food product, the app identifies the product and shows the food additives it contains, turning the “E” codes on the label into clear, easy-to-understand information. In this way, consumers can see how many additives are cumulated in their shopping basket or even in a single meal, and can make informed choices for themselves and their families – right there, in front of the shelf.
Signed:
InfoCons Consumer Protection Department of Studies and Comparative Testing