Hydrogenated poly-1-decenes
E 907 · Hydrogenated poly-1-decene · HYDROGENATED POLY-1-DECENES · Hydrogenated poly-alpha-olefin · Hydrogenated polydec-1-ene · E907 · 907 · Hydrogenated poly-1-decene · Gehydrogeneerd poly-1-deceen · Hidrintas poli(1-decenas) · Hidrogenirani poli-1-decen · Hidrogenēts poli-1-decēns · Hidrogénezett poli-1-decén · Hydriertes Poly-1-decen · Hydrogenated poly-1-decene · Hydrogenerat poly-1-deken · Hydrogeneret poly-1-decen · Hydrogenovaný poly-1-decen · Hydrogénový poly-1-decén · Hüdrogeenitud polü-1-detseen · Idroġenat poli -1-deċen · Poli-1-decene idrogenato · Poli-1-deceno hidrogenado · Poli-1-decenă hidrogenată · POLI-1-DEĊEN IDROĠINATA · Poly-1-décène hydrogéné · Uwodorniony poli-1-deken · Vetykäsitelty poly-1-dekeeni · Υδρογονωμένο πολυ-1-δεκένιο · Хидрогениран поли-1-деценE number E907INS 907
Listed as a glazing agent by Codex.
Listed as glazing and surface-finishing agents (Codex)
- Codex Alimentarius: Glazing agent — CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 907
Hydrogenated poly-1-decenes are glazing and release agents used on confectionery and dried fruit, a synthetic alternative to mineral oil with a tightly defined composition.
Where it is and isn’t permitted
| Jurisdiction | Status | Scope and limits | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and New Zealand | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Canada | No listing matchedHealth Canada’s lists name additives without E or INS numbers, so this site matches them by exact name. A substance listed there under a name this site does not recognise has no row here. | ||
| European Union | Permitted, with conditions | 4 food categories highest permitted level 2,000 mg/kg Show every food category
| Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex IIand 3 further provisionsretrieved 2026-10-18 |
| Great Britain | Permitted, with conditions | 4 food categories highest permitted level 2,000 mg/kg or mg/l Show every food category
| Assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008and 3 further provisionsretrieved 2026-10-18 |
| Japan | No listing matchedThis site imports only Japan’s list of designated additives (Appended Table 1 to the Regulations for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act), matched by English name. Existing additives, natural flavouring agents and ordinary foods used as additives are permitted outside that list and are not imported, so an empty row does not show that Japan does not permit the substance. | ||
| South Korea | No listing matchedThis site imports Part III of South Korea’s Standards and Specifications for Food Additives, matched by CAS number, then INS number, then exact name. Mixed preparations and sanitisers are not imported, and an entry whose identifiers disagreed with a page’s is held for review, so an empty row does not show that South Korea does not permit the substance. | ||
| United States | Not listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited. | ||
| Codex Alimentarius | Permitted, with conditions | 2 food categories highest permitted level 2,000 mg/kg Show every food category and its notes
| CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 907and 1 further provisionretrieved 2026-09-07 |
How much is permitted
A listing usually limits the quantity as well as the food. Only one of the forms that takes is a figure: quantum satis and good manufacturing practice permit the amount the technological effect requires and no more, which is a limit rather than the absence of one. Figures below are the range across every food category this page is listed in, and categories differ between regulators — see how much is permitted.
| European Union | 2,000 mg/kg | 4 numeric limit |
|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | 2,000 mg/kg | 4 numeric limit |
| Codex Alimentarius | 2,000 mg/kg | 2 numeric limit |
What it is made from
Built by polymerising decene and hydrogenating the result, rather than distilled from crude oil.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
Compare other additives on the dietary indexes.
The two specifications, compared
The European Union sets identity and purity by regulation; JECFA publishes its own through FAO, advisory until a country adopts it. Both documents are below in full. These are the parameters each puts a number on.
| Parameter | European Union | JECFA |
|---|---|---|
| Assay | no less than 98.5 % | no less than 98.5 % |
| Lead | no more than 1 mg/kg | no more than 1 mg/kg |
The two documents state the same figures for every parameter compared here.
How the EU defines it
The legal specification an additive must meet to be sold as this E number in the EU — what it is, how it may be made, and the purity it must reach. From Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012.
E 907 Hydrogenated poly-1-decene
Synonyms: Hydrogenated polydec-1-ene; Hydrogenated poly-alpha-olefin
Assay, identification and purity criteria
Description and assay
- Chemical formula
- C₁₀ₙH₂₀ₙ₊₂ where n = 3-6
- Molecular weight
- 560 (average)
- Assay
- Not less than 98,5 % of hydrogenated poly-1-decene, having the following oligomer distribution: C₃₀: 13-37 % C₄₀: 35-70 % C₅₀: 9-25 % C₆₀: 1-7 %
Identification
- Solubility
- Insoluble in water; slightly soluble in ethanol; soluble in toluene
- Burning
- Burns with a bright flame and a paraffin-like characteristic smell
- Viscosity
- Between 5,7 × 10– 6 and 6,1 × 10– 6 m²s– 1 at 100 °C
Purity criteria
- Compounds with carbon number less than 30
- Not more than 1,5 %
- Readily carbonisable substances
- After 10 minutes shaking in a boiling water bath, a tube of sulphuric acid with a 5 g sample of hydrogenated poly-1-decene is not darker than a very slight straw colour
- Nickel
- Not more than 1 mg/kg
- Lead
- Not more than 1 mg/kg
How JECFA defines it
The international specification for identity and purity, prepared by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and published by FAO. It is a different document from any above, written by a different body and revised on its own cycle; it is advisory, and a country adopts it or does not.
INS 907 Hydrogenated Poly-1-decene
Hydrogenated poly-1-decene is a mixture of branched isomeric hydrocarbons, prepared by hydrogenation of mixtures of trimers, tetramers, pentamers and hexamers of 1-decenes. Minor amounts of molecules with carbon number less than 30 may be present.
Synonyms: Hydrogenated polydec-1-ene, Hydrogenated poly- α -olefin; INS No. 907 Hydrogenated poly-alpha-olefin
Assay, identification and purity criteria
Description and assay
- Specification history
- Prepared at the 57th JECFA (2001) and published in FNP 52 Add 9 (2001), superseding specifications prepared at the 53rd JECFA (1999), published in FNP 52 Add 7 (1999). An ADI of 0 - 6 mg/kg bw was established at the 57th JECFA (2001).
- C.A.S. number
- 68037-01-4
- Chemical formula
- C 10n H 20n+2 , where n = 3 – 6
- Formula weight
- 560 (average)
- Assay
- Not less than 98.5% of hydrogenated poly-1-decene, having the following oligomer distribution: C 3 : 13 - 37% C 40 : 35 - 70% C 50 : 9 - 25% C 60 : 1 - 7%
- DESCRIPTION
- Colourless, odourless, viscous liquid
- FUNCTIONAL USES
- Glazing agent, release agent
- METHOD OF ASSAY
- Hydrogenated poly-1-decene, oligomer distribution and the content of hydrogenated decene dimer. Determine by gas-liquid chromatography (see Volume 4) using the following conditions: Column: Capillary column, 16 m x 0.53 mm Column film: Nonpolar (polydimethyldisiloxane), thickness 0.1 μm, e.g. OV-1, DB 1 Column temperature: - initial: 35°, 1 min - 35° - 50°, 5°/min - 50° - 170°, 12°/ min - 170° - 310°, 10°/min final: 310°, 45 min Carrier - gas: Helium - flow: 10 ml/min Injector pressure: 1.5 psi at 35°, constant flow Detector: FID Injection temperature: 35° Sample size: 2 μl Calibration Calibrate the instrument using a solution with known composition containing about 1.0 % of n-tetradecane, 1.0% of n-hexadecane and 1.0% of squalane (2,6,10,15,19,23-hexamethyl tetracosane) in pentane. The differences between peak areas of the compounds should be less than 10.0% and the resolution between tetradecane and n-hexadecane should be between 2 and 5. Calculate the resolution (R) from the distance between n-tetradecane and n-hexadecane peaks at the peak maxima (d) and the width of the peaks at the baseline (Y): R = [2(d 1 - d 2 )/(Y 1 - Y 2 )]. Sample preparation Take a small amount of the sample into an automatic pipette. Place a drop of the sample in 1.00 ml of pentane, and mix well. Record the chromatogram for about 45 min. Retention times The retention times for C 20 , C 30 , C 40 , C 50 and C 60 are usually about 10.5, 16, 20, 23 and 26 min. Calculation Calculate the oligomer distribution by the method of area percentages (area normalization). Calculate the percentage of molecules with carbon numbers less than 30 in the sample taken by the formula: 100*L/T Where L = the sum of peak areas eluting before and C 30 T = the sum of all peak areas eluting in 45 min Calculate the percentage of hydrogenated poly-1-decene in the sample taken by the formula: 100*A/T where A = the sum of peak areas for C 30 , C 40 , C 50 and C 60 T = the sum of all peak areas eluting in 45 min
Identification
- Solubility (Vol. 4)
- Insoluble in water; slightly soluble in ethanol; soluble in toluene
- Burning
- The product burns with bright flame and a paraffin-like characteristic smell
- Viscosity
- 5.7 - 6.1 mm 2 /sec (100°) See description under TESTS
Purity criteria
- Compounds with carbon number less than 30
- Not more than 1.5 % See METHOD OF ASSAY
- Readily carbonizable substances
- Passes test See description under TESTS
- Nickel (Vol. 4)
- Not more than 1 mg/kg
- Lead (Vol. 4)
- Not more than 1 mg/kg Determine using an atomic absorption technique appropriate to the specified level. The selection of sample size and method of sample preparation may be based on the principles of the method described on Volume 4, "Instrumental methods".
- Test: Viscosity , 100 o
- Use a viscometer of the glass capillary type, calibrated and capable of measuring kinematic viscosity with a repeatability exceeding 0.35% only in one case in twenty. Immerse the viscometer in a liquid bath at the temperature required for the test ± 0.1° ensuring that at no time of the measurement will any portion of the sample in the viscometer be less than 20 mm below the surface of the bath liquid or less than 20 mm above the bottom of the bath. Charge the viscometer with sample in the manner dictated by the design of the instrument. Allow the sample to remain in the bath for about 30 min. Where the design of the viscometer requires it, adjust the volume of sample to the mark. Use pressure to adjust the head level of the sample to a position in the capillary arm of the instrument about 5 mm ahead of the first mark. With the sample flowing freely, measure, in seconds (±0.2 sec), the time required for the meniscus to pass from the first to the second timing mark. If the time is less than 200 s, select a viscometer with a capillary of smaller diameter and repeat the operation. Make a second measurement of the flow time. If two measurements agree within 0.2%, use the average for calculating the kinematic viscosity. If the measurements do not agree, repeat the determination after thoroughly cleaning and drying the viscometer. Viscosity, 100 o (mm 2 /sec) = C x t where C = calibration constant of the viscometer (mm 2 /sec 2 ) t = flow time (sec)
- Test: Readily carbonizable substances
- Place 5g of the sample in a glass-stoppered test tube that has previously been cleaned with a chromic acid cleaning solution, rinsed with water and dried in an oven (105°, 1h). Add 5 ml of sulfuric acid TS, and place in a boiling water bath. After the test tube has been in the bath for 30 sec, remove quickly, and while holding the stopper in place, give three vigorous vertical shakes over an amplitude of about 10 cm. Repeat every 30 sec. Do not keep the test tube out of the bath longer than 3 sec for each shaking period. At the end of 10 min from the time when first placed in the water bath, remove the test tube. The sample remains unchanged in colour, and the acid does not become darker than a very slight straw colour (Matching Fluid E , see FNP 5). No black material occurs at the interface between the two layers
Every name it appears under
30 recorded names. A label may use any of them.
E number
- E907
INS number
- 907
As it appears in regulation
- Hydrogenated poly-1-decene
Other names
- E 907
- Hydrogenated poly-1-decene
- HYDROGENATED POLY-1-DECENES
- Hydrogenated poly-alpha-olefin
- Hydrogenated polydec-1-ene
Hazard reference values
The two committees set different figures. EFSA's acceptable daily intake is 20 mg/kg bw/day (2020); JECFA's is 6 mg/kg bw/day (2001). An acceptable daily intake is a reference value set by a committee, not a threshold above which harm begins. The lower figure is not a finding that the other body was wrong: the two work to different terms of reference, on their own timetables, and sometimes from different data. This site states both and chooses between them nowhere. See where the two committees differ.
Evidence and how bodies read it
What assessing bodies concluded
Each conclusion is paraphrased in the body's own framing, from the published opinion linked beneath it. Where bodies differ, both stand; this site does not adjudicate between them or add a view of its own.
EFSA 2020
The FAF Panel found no genotoxicity concern for hydrogenated poly-1-decene (E 907) and, in the absence of long-term and reproductive studies, established an ADI of 20 mg/kg bw/day from a subchronic rat study. It concluded that exposure at maximum permitted levels does not raise a safety concern.
Common questions
Assembled from what is above, in the words the questions are usually asked in. Each answer is the same statement the relevant section makes, with the same citations behind it.
- What is E 907?
- E 907 is Hydrogenated poly-1-decenes. Hydrogenated poly-1-decenes are glazing and release agents used on confectionery and dried fruit, a synthetic alternative to mineral oil with a tightly defined composition.
- What is Hydrogenated poly-1-decenes used for in food?
- It is listed as a glazing agent — the role Codex assigns it. This page shows every function each regulator records, with the citation for each.
- Where is Hydrogenated poly-1-decenes permitted?
- Of the seven regulators this site reads, the EU, Great Britain and the Codex standard permit it. Each permission is for named foods at named levels, not a blanket one; the table on this page gives them with citations.
- Is Hydrogenated poly-1-decenes vegan?
- Yes. Hydrogenated poly-1-decenes is not derived from animals, and is suitable for vegetarians. This page says what it is made from and how.
Sources for this page
- eu retrieved 2026-10-18
- gb retrieved 2026-10-18
- gsfa retrieved 2026-09-07
- euspecs retrieved 2026-10-18
- jecfaspecs retrieved 2026-09-23
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