Thickeners & Gelling Agents — Complete E-Number Guide
Thickeners & Gelling Agents are food additives (E400–E499) that thicken foods and create gels for the right texture. They are found in many everyday foods including sauces, soups, desserts, jams, plant milks and dairy alternatives. This guide covers every thickeners & gelling agent E-number with its safety, vegan and halal status at a glance.
| E-Number | Name | Safety | Vegan | Halal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E400 | Alginic Acid | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E401 | Sodium Alginate | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E402 | Potassium Alginate | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E403 | Ammonium Alginate | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E404 | Calcium Alginate | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E405 | Propane-1,2-diol Alginate | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E406 | Agar | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E407 | Carrageenan | Some Concerns | Yes | Halal |
| E410 | Locust Bean Gum | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E412 | Guar Gum | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E413 | Tragacanth | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E414 | Acacia Gum | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E415 | Xanthan Gum | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E416 | Karaya Gum | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E417 | Tara Gum | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E418 | Gellan Gum | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E425 | Konjac | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E426 | Soybean Hemicellulose | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E427 | Cassia Gum | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E440 | Pectin | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E460 | Cellulose | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E461 | Methyl Cellulose | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E463 | Hydroxypropyl Cellulose | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E464 | Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E465 | Ethyl Methyl Cellulose | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E466 | Carboxymethyl Cellulose | Some Concerns | Yes | Halal |
| E468 | Cross-linked Cellulose Gum | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E469 | Enzymatically Hydrolysed Cellulose Gum | Safe | Yes | Halal |
| E407a | Processed Eucheuma Seaweed | Some Concerns | Yes | Halal |
What do thickeners & gelling agents do?
Additives in the thickeners & gelling agents group thicken foods and create gels for the right texture. 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 thickeners & gelling agents
On UK and EU labels these additives appear with their function and E-number or name — for example "thickeners & gelling agent: E400". 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).