E-Numbers List — Food Additives (E100–E1520)
Search any food additive by name or code (E100–E1520). See what it is, its risk level, and whether it's banned or restricted in the EU or US.
E-numbers are standardized codes for food additives approved in the EU (the "E" is for Europe). The number signals the category — E100s are colors, E200s preservatives, E300s antioxidants, E400s thickeners, and so on — not the danger. Many are harmless natural substances (E300 is vitamin C). A minority are banned or warning-labeled, and those differ between the EU and US. Use the search below to look up any code, then scan a label to see which ones a product actually contains.
Showing 1 of 85 additives
This list covers the food additives consumers most commonly encounter and search for. Regulatory status changes; entries reflect published EU (EFSA) and US (FDA) positions as of July 2026 and are provided for general education, not as medical or legal advice. When in doubt, check the current EFSA and FDA databases.
The additives where the EU and US disagree
The most practically useful thing this list shows is regulatory divergence — additives legal on one side of the Atlantic and restricted on the other. The headline cases as of 2026:
- Titanium dioxide (E171). Banned as a food additive across the EU since 2022 after EFSA could not rule out genotoxicity from nanoparticles. Still permitted in US food, though the FDA placed it under accelerated post-market review in 2025 and several states and manufacturers are removing it.
- The Southampton Six (E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, E129). Legal in both regions, but the EU requires the label warning "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children," which the US does not. Many EU manufacturers reformulated to avoid the warning.
- Erythrosine / Red 3 (E127). The FDA revoked its authorization in January 2025, with food compliance required by January 2027; long restricted in the EU, Japan, and Australia.
- Potassium bromate (E924) and azodicarbonamide (E927a). Both banned in the EU; both still permitted in US flour and bread products.
- Brominated vegetable oil (E443). Banned in the EU; the FDA revoked its US authorization in 2024, closing a long-standing gap.
SafeShelf's scanner applies the strictest major standard when scoring, so a US product containing an EU-banned additive is flagged even though it's legal where it was sold.