E number


E numbers are codes for substances used as food additives for use within the European Union and European Free Trade Association. Commonly found on food labels, their safety assessment and approval are the responsibility of the European Food Safety Authority.
Having a single unified list for food additives was first agreed upon in 1962 with food colouring. In 1964, the directives for preservatives were added, in 1970 antioxidants were added, in 1974 emulsifiers, stabilisers, thickeners and gelling agents were added as well.

Numbering schemes

The numbering scheme follows that of the International Numbering System as determined by the Codex Alimentarius committee, though only a subset of the INS additives are approved for use in the European Union as food additives. Outside the European continent plus Russia, E numbers are also encountered on food labelling in other jurisdictions, including the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Israel. They are increasingly, though still rarely, found on North American packaging, especially on imported European food products.

Colloquial use

In some European countries, "E number" is sometimes used informally as a pejorative term for artificial food additives, and products may promote themselves as "free of E numbers". This is incorrect, because many components of natural foods have assigned E numbers, e.g. vitamin C and lycopene, found in carrots.

Classification by numeric range

NB: Not all examples of a class fall into the given numeric range. Moreover, many chemicals, particularly in the E400–499 range, have a variety of purposes.

Full list

The list shows all components that have or had an E-number assigned, even those no longer allowed in the EU. For an overview of currently allowed additives see .

E100–E199 (colours)

E200–E299 ([preservative]s)

E300–E399 ([antioxidant]s, [acidity regulator]s)

E400–E499 (thickeners">Thickening agent">thickeners, stabilisers, [emulsifier]s)

E500–E599 ([acidity regulator]s, [anti-caking agent]s)

E600–E699 ([flavour enhancer])

E700–E799 (antibiotics)

CodeNamePurposeStatus
E701Tetracyclinesantibiotic
E702Chlortetracyclineantibiotic
E703Oxytetracyclineantibiotic
E704Oleandomycinantibiotic
E705Penicillin G potassiumantibiotic
E706Penicillin G sodiumantibiotic
E707Penicillin G procaineantibiotic
E708Penicillin G benzathineantibiotic
E710Spiramycinsantibiotic
E711Virginiamycinsantibiotic
E712Flavomycinantibiotic
E713Tylosinantibiotic
E714Monensin Aantibiotic
E715Avoparcinantibiotic
E716Salinomycinantibiotic
E717Avilamycinantibiotic

E900–E999 ([glazing agent]s, gases and sweetener">Sugar substitute">sweeteners)

E1000–E1599 (additional additives)