Glutamic acid

E number E620INS 620CAS 56-86-0

Used as a flavour enhancer.

Glutamic acid is the free acid form of the amino acid behind umami taste, used as a flavour enhancer where the sodium of MSG is not wanted.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of Glutamic acid by jurisdiction. Every jurisdiction this site covers is listed, including those where the substance does not appear.
JurisdictionStatusScope and limitsCitation
United StatesFood and Drug AdministrationPermitted21 CFR 182.1045retrieved 2026-09-07
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFAPermitted, with conditions

1 food category

no numerical limit (good manufacturing practice)

CXS 192-1995 Table Three, INS 620and 1 further provisionretrieved 2026-09-07

What it is made from

Produced by bacterial fermentation of a carbohydrate feedstock, the same route as monosodium glutamate.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
CAS registry number
56-86-0
InChIKey
WHUUTDBJXJRKMK-VKHMYHEASA-N
PubChem
CID 33032

Every name it appears under

66 recorded names. A label may use any of them.

E number

  • E620

INS number

  • 620

CAS registry number

  • 56-86-0

As it appears in regulation

  • Glutamic acid

Other names

  • (2S)-2-amino-5-hydroxy-5-oxopentanoate;hydron
  • (2S)-2-Aminopentanedioic acid
  • (2S)-2-azaniumyl-5-hydroxy-5-oxopentanoate
  • (S)-(+)-Glutamic acid
  • (S)-2-Aminopentanedioic acid
  • (S)-Glutamic acid
  • 1-amino-propane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid
  • 1-Aminopropane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid
  • 1ftj
  • 2-Aminoglutaric acid
  • 2-Aminopentanedioic acid
  • Acide glutamique
  • Acido glutamico
  • Acidum glutamicum
  • Acidum glutaminicum
  • Aciglut
  • alpha-aminoglutaric acid
  • alpha-Glutamic acid
  • aminoglutaric acid
  • CCRIS 7314
  • D-Glutamiensuur
  • E 620
  • EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 374350
  • FEMA No. 3285
  • Gamma-L-Glutamic Acid
  • glu
  • Glusate
  • glut
  • glutacid
  • glutamate
  • Glutamate, L
  • Glutamate, L-
  • Glutamic acid
  • Glutamic Acid (L-glutamic acid)
  • Glutamic acid (VAN)
  • Glutamic acid, (S)-
  • Glutamic acid, L
  • GLUTAMIC ACID, L(+)-
  • Glutamic acid, L-
  • Glutamicol
  • Glutamidex
  • glutaminic acid
  • Glutaminol
  • Glutaton
  • H-Glu-OH
  • INS NO.620
  • INS-620
  • l glutamic acid
  • L(+)-Glutamic acid
  • L-(+)-glutamic acid
  • L-2-amino-pentanedioic acid
  • L-2-Aminoglutaric acid
  • L-alpha-Aminoglutaric acid
  • L-glu
  • L-glutamate
  • L-Glutamate, Aluminum
  • L-glutamic acid
  • L-Glutaminic acid
  • L-α-Aminoglutaric acid
  • Pentanedioic acid, 2-amino-, (S)-
  • Stemega anti hair loss gel

Systematic names

  • (2S)-2-aminopentanedioic acid

Hazard reference values

Values set by assessing bodies. A body that has not set a value is not listed here.
TypeValuePopulationAssessed byOpinion
ADI30 mg/kg bw/dayconsumersEFSAnot identified in the dataset

Evidence and how bodies read it

Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated by hand rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.

Sources for this page

  • ecfr retrieved 2026-09-07
  • gsfa retrieved 2026-09-07

Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.

Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/glutamic-acid.json