Humectants — Complete E-Number Guide
Humectants are food additives (E400–E1520) that keep foods moist and stop them drying out. They are found in many everyday foods including cakes, sweets, dried fruit, chewing gum and soft baked goods. This guide covers every humectant E-number with its safety, vegan and halal status at a glance.
| E-Number | Name | Safety | Vegan | Halal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E422 | Glycerol | Safe | Uncertain | Doubtful |
| E1518 | Glyceryl Triacetate | Safe | Uncertain | Doubtful |
| E1520 | Propylene Glycol | Safe | Yes | Halal |
What do humectants do?
Additives in the humectants group keep foods moist and stop them drying out. Without them, many everyday products would spoil faster, separate, lose texture or look unappetising — which is why they appear in so many ingredients lists. Every additive in this table has been through EFSA's authorisation process, but as the safety column shows, "authorised" doesn't always mean "concern-free": some carry conditions, warnings or ongoing debates, and each entry links to a full breakdown.
Checking labels for humectants
On UK and EU labels these additives appear with their function and E-number or name — for example "humectant: E422". Tap any E-number in the table for its complete profile: what it is, where it's found, whether it's safe, and its vegan, vegetarian, halal and palm-oil status.
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Additive data sourced from Open Food Facts (ODbL licence) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).