E numbers: food additive lookup

E numbers are codes for food additives approved in the European Union. The "E" stands for Europe; the number identifies the substance, so E 330 means citric acid in every EU language. The list in this tool covers all 339 entries in Annex II, Part B of EU Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, with their official English names.

You will see E numbers on food made for or imported from the EU and the UK, and on many international products. The same numbering, without the E, is used in the Codex Alimentarius International Numbering System (INS), which appears on labels in Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia.

In the United States, ingredient lists name additives instead of using E numbers. Instead of "E 330" you will see "citric acid", and instead of "E 129" you will see "Red 40" or "FD&C Red No. 40". Approval rules also differ: the FDA regulates food additives and color additives separately, and an additive approved in one region is not automatically approved in the other.

So this lookup is most useful for imported products, travel, recipes from Europe, or when you want to understand a code you have read about. Search by name as well as by number; for example, search "allura" to find E 129.

Range	Mostly
E 100–199	Colors
E 200–299	Preservatives
E 300–399	Antioxidants and acidity regulators
E 400–499	Thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers
E 500–599	Acidity regulators, anti-caking agents
E 600–699	Flavor enhancers
E 900–999	Glazing agents, gases, sweeteners
E 1000+	Other additives and modified starches

The ranges are a rough guide. The regulation itself sorts additives into only three groups (colors, sweeteners, other additives), and the "typical function" shown here is informational.

Some additives come with special labeling rules in the EU, flagged with a badge:

• Warning label: six azo dyes (E 102, E 104, E 110, E 122, E 124, E 129) require the statement "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children" on EU labels.
• Source of phenylalanine: aspartame (E 951) and aspartame-acesulfame salt (E 962) must be labeled because they matter for people with phenylketonuria (PKU).
• Allergen (sulfites): sulfur dioxide and sulfites (E 220–E 228) above 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/L must be emphasized as allergens.
• Laxative effect: foods with more than 10% added polyols such as sorbitol, xylitol or maltitol must carry a warning.
• Not allowed in food: titanium dioxide (E 171) and canthaxanthin (E 161g) remain on the list for medicines but are not permitted in foods.

In Check an ingredient list mode, paste the whole ingredients text from a package or a website. The tool finds every E number in any common spelling (E330, E 330, E-330, E 160a, E 160b(ii)) and lists each one with its explanation. Codes that are not on the current list are flagged; they may be typos or additives that were withdrawn.

Everything runs in your browser. This tool explains what an additive is and why it is used; it is not health or dietary advice. Additives on the EU list have been assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and are considered safe at the permitted levels.