Polyvinylpyrrolidone
9003-39-8 · E 1201 · Polyvinylpyrrolidone · Povidone · PVP · Soluble polyvinylpyrrolidone · E1201 · 1201 · Polyvinylpyrrolidone · Polivinilpirolidon · Polivinilpirolidonas · Polivinilpirolidons · Polivinilpirolidonă · Polivinilpirrolidon · Polivinilpirrolidona · Polivinilpirrolidone · Poliwinylopirolidon · Polyvinylpyrolidon · Polyvinylpyrrolidon · Polyvinylpyrrolidone · Polyvinyylipyrrolidoni · Polüvinüülpürrolidoon · Πολυβινυλοπυρρολιδόνη · ПоливинилпиролидонE number E1201INS 1201CAS 9003-39-8
Listed as a thickener and a stabiliser by Codex and the US.
Listed as thickeners (US, Codex) · stabilisers (US, Codex) · emulsifiers (Codex) · glazing and surface-finishing agents (Codex) · formulation aids (US) · surface-active agents (US) · solvents and vehicles (US) · processing aids (US)
- United States: Stabilizer or thickener — FDA, Substances Added to Food: POLYVINYLPYRROLIDONE
- Codex Alimentarius: Thickener — CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 1201
- United States: Stabilizer or thickener — FDA, Substances Added to Food: POLYVINYLPYRROLIDONE
- Codex Alimentarius: Stabilizer — CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 1201
- Codex Alimentarius: Emulsifier — CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 1201
- Codex Alimentarius: Glazing agent — CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 1201
- United States: Formulation aid — FDA, Substances Added to Food: POLYVINYLPYRROLIDONE
- United States: Surface-active agent — FDA, Substances Added to Food: POLYVINYLPYRROLIDONE
- United States: Solvent or vehicle — FDA, Substances Added to Food: POLYVINYLPYRROLIDONE
- United States: Processing aid — FDA, Substances Added to Food: POLYVINYLPYRROLIDONE
Polyvinylpyrrolidone is a clarifying agent and binder, used to remove haze from beer, wine and vinegar and as a tablet binder.
Where it is and isn’t permitted
| Jurisdiction | Status | Scope and limits | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and New Zealand | Permitted | 1 food category no numerical limit (good manufacturing practice) | Food Standards Code, Schedule 15, S15—5, item 11.4, INS 1201retrieved 2026-10-17 |
| Canada | Permitted, with conditions | highest permitted level 3,000 mg/kg 3 permitted uses Show every permitted use
| Health Canada, List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Purposes of Use (List 8)and 2 further provisionsretrieved 2026-10-17 |
| European Union | Permitted, with conditions | 3 food categories Show every food category
| Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008and 2 further provisionsretrieved 2026-10-18 |
| Great Britain | Permitted, with conditions | 2 food categories Show every food category
| Assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008and 1 further provisionretrieved 2026-10-18 |
| Japan | Permitted, with conditions | Designated additive: Appended Table 1, item 401, ポリビニルピロリドン (“Polyvinylpyrroridone” in the unofficial English translation). …Designated additive: Appended Table 1, item 401, ポリビニルピロリドン (“Polyvinylpyrroridone” in the unofficial English translation). Standards for use — Specifications and Standards for Foods, Food Additives, etc. (MHW Notification No. 370 of 1959), Part II (Food Additives), F (Standards for use), entry ポリビニルピロリドン: (1) [may be used only in the foods stated] “ポリビニルピロリドンは、カプセル・錠剤等通常の食品形態でない食品以外の食品に使用してはならない。” The Japanese is the standard as published. There is no official English translation of the Notification; the English in square brackets is this site’s description of what each sentence does, not a translation of the foods or the levels. Compositional specifications for this additive, in the same Notification, are not imported and are not shown here; nor are the general rules in F 添加物一般, which apply to every additive. | Regulations for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act (MHW Ordinance No. 23 of 1948), Appended Table 1retrieved 2026-10-18 |
| 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 | Permitted, with conditions | 21 CFR 173.55retrieved 2026-10-17 | |
| Codex Alimentarius | Permitted, with conditions | 8 food categories highest permitted level 10,000 mg/kg Show every food category and its notes
| CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 1201and 7 further provisionsretrieved 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.
| Australia and New Zealand | — | 1 GMP |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 3,000 mg/kg | 1 numeric limit, 2 GMP |
| European Union | — | 3 quantum satis |
| Great Britain | — | 2 quantum satis |
| Japan | — | 1 no quantity stated |
| United States | — | 1 no quantity stated |
| Codex Alimentarius | 2 mg/kg – 10,000 mg/kg | 6 numeric limit, 2 GMP |
What it is made from
A synthetic polymer made from vinylpyrrolidone. Unlike its cross-linked relative PVPP, it is water-soluble.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
Compare other additives on the dietary indexes.
- CAS registry number
- 9003-39-8
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 11.5 % | no less than 12.2 % |
| Lead | no more than 2 mg/kg | no more than 2 mg/kg |
One parameter differs between the two documents. A difference is not a disagreement about safety: the two are revised on their own cycles, and an assay or a drying loss can be measured against a different preparation of the substance, which is why only the contaminant ceilings are marked. Within the EU the EU's figure is the one that binds.
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 1201 Polyvinylpyrrolidone
Synonyms: Povidone; PVP; Soluble polyvinylpyrrolidone
Assay, identification and purity criteria
Description and assay
- Chemical name
- Polyvinylpyrrolidone, poly-[1-(2-oxo-1-pyrrolidinyl)-ethylene]
- Chemical formula
- (C₆H₉NO)ₙ
- Average molecular weight
- Not less than 25 000
- Assay
- Content not less than 11,5 % and not more than 12,8 % of nitrogen (N) on the anhydrous basis
- Description
- White or nearly white powder
Identification
- Solubility
- Soluble in water and in ethanol. Insoluble in ether
- pH
- Between 3,0 and 7,0 (5 % solution)
Purity criteria
- Water content
- Not more than 5 % (Karl Fischer)
- Total ash
- Not more than 0,1 %
- Aldehyde
- Not more than 500 mg/kg (as acetaldehyde)
- Free-N-vinylpyrrolidone
- Not more than 10 mg/kg
- Hydrazine
- Not more than 1 mg/kg
- Lead
- Not more than 2 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 1201 Polyvinylpyrrolidone
Synonyms: Povidone, PVP; INS No. 1201 Povidone; PVP
Assay, identification and purity criteria
Description and assay
- Specification history
- Prepared at the 30th JECFA (1986), published in FNP 37 (1986) and in FNP 52 (1992). Metals and arsenic specifications revised at the 63rd JECFA (2004). An ADI of 0-50 mg/kg bw was established at the 30th JECFA (1986)
- Chemical names
- Polyvinylpyrrolidone, poly-[1-(2-oxo-1-pyrrolidinyl)- ethylene]
- C.A.S. number
- 9003-39-8
- Chemical formula
- (C 6 H 9 NO) n
- Formula weight
- Lower molecular weight range product: about 40 000 Higher molecular weight range product: about 360 000
- Assay
- Not less than 12.2% and not more than 13.0% of Nitrogen (N) on the anhydrous basis
- DESCRIPTION
- White to tan powder; supplied in two molecular weight forms; the molecular weight value is an average molecular weight for the two forms
- FUNCTIONAL USES
- Clarifying agent, stabilizer, bodying agent, tableting adjunct, dispersing agent
- METHOD OF ASSAY
- Determine as directed under Nitrogen Determination in Volume 4, using about 1 g of the sample, accurately weighed.
Identification
- Solubility (Vol. 4)
- Soluble in water, in ethanol and in chloroform; insoluble in ether
- pH (Vol. 4)
- 3.0 - 7.0 (5% soln)
- Precipitate formation
- To 5 ml of a 1 in 50 solution of the sample add 5 ml of dilute hydrochloric acid TS, 5 ml of water and 2 ml of 1 in 10 solution of potassium dichromate. A yellow precipitate forms. Add 5 ml of a 1 in 50 solution of the sample to 75 mg of cobalt nitrate and 0.3 g of ammonium thiocyanate dissolved in 2 ml of water, mix and acidify with dilute hydrochloric acid TS. A pale blue precipitate forms. To 5 ml of a 1 in 50 solution of the sample add 1 ml of 25% hydrochloric acid and 5 ml of 5% barium chloride solution and 1 ml of 5% phosphomolybdotungstic acid solution. A voluminous white precipitate is formed which becomes gradually blue on standing in daylight. (Note: The blue colouration on exposure to light distinguishes polyvinylpyrrolidone from polyethylene oxide adducts which give similar precipitates with the same reagents but which retain their white colour in light).
Purity criteria
- Water (Vol. 4)
- Not more than 5% (Karl Fischer Method)
- Relative viscosity
- Between 1.188 and 1.325 for lower molecular weight product, and between 3.225 and 5.662 for higher molecular weight product See description under TESTS.
- Total ash (Vol. 4)
- Not more than 0.02% Test 10 g of the sample
- Aldehyde
- Not more than 0.2% (as acetaldehyde) See description under TESTS
- Monomer content
- Not more than 1% (as vinylpyrrolidone) See description under TESTS
- Hydrazine
- Not more than 1 mg/kg See description under TESTS
- Lead (Vol. 4)
- Not more than 2 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 in Volume 4, “Instrumental Methods.”
- Test: Relative viscosity
- Transfer an accurately weighed portion of the sample, equivalent to 1 g of anhydrous polyvinylpyrrolidone, into a 250 ml conical flask, and calculate the amount of water to be added to make a 1% solution. Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature, with occasional swirling, until solution is complete, and then allow to stand for 1 h. longer. Filter through a dry sintered-glass filter funnel of coarse porosity, then pipet 10 ml of the filtrate into a Cannon-Fenske viscometer, or equivalent, and place the viscometer in a water bath maintained at 25±0.05 o . After allowing the sample solution and pipet to warm in the water bath for 10 min., draw the solution by means of very gentle suction up through the capillary until the meniscus is formed from 3 to 4 mm above the upper etched mark. Release the vacuum, and, when the meniscus reaches the upper etched mark, begin timing the flow through the capillary. Record the exact time when the meniscus reaches the lower etched mark, and calculate the flow time to the nearest 0.1 sec. Repeat this operation until at least three readings are obtained. The readings must agree within 0.3 sec.; if not, repeat the determination with additional 10 ml portions of the sample solution after recleaning the viscosity pipet with sulfuric acid-dichromate cleaning solution. Calculate the average flow time for the sample solution, and then obtain the average flow time in similar manner for 10 ml of filtered water for the same viscosity pipet. Calculate the relative viscosity of the sample by dividing the average flow time for the sample solution by that of the water sample.
- Test: Aldehyde
- Transfer about 10 g of the sample, accurately weighed and dissolved in 300 ml of water, into a 1000 ml round-bottom flask containing 80 ml of 25% sulfuric acid, reflux for about 45 min. under a water-cooled condenser, and then distil about 100 ml into a receiver containing 20 ml of 1 N hydroxylamine hydrochloride previously adjusted to pH 3.1. Titrate the contents of the receiver with 0.1 N sodium hydroxide to a pH of 3.1, using a pH meter. Perform a blank determination and make any necessary correction. Each ml of 0.1 N sodium hydroxide is equivalent to 4.405 mg of C 2 H 4 O.
- Test: Monomer content
- Dissolve about 4 g of the sample, accurately weighed, in 30 ml of water in a 125 ml round-bottom flask, add 0.5 g of sodium acetate, mix and begin titrating with 0.1 N iodine. When the iodine colour no longer fades, add additional 3.0 ml of the titrant, and allow the solution to stand for 5 to 10 min. Add starch TS, and titrate the excess iodine with 0.1 N sodium thiosulfate. Perform a blank determination, using the same volume of 0.1 N iodine, accurately measured, as was used for the sample. Each ml of 0.1 N iodine is equivalent to 5.56 mg of vinylpyrrolidone.
- Test: Hydrazine
- Transfer 2.5 g of the sample into a 50-ml centrifuge tube, add 25 ml of a 1 in 20 solution of salicylaldehyde in methanol, swirl, and heat in a water bath at 60 o for 15 min. Allow to cool, add 2.0 ml of toluene, insert a stopper in the tube, shake vigorously for 2 min, and centrifuge. On a suitable thin-layer chromatographic plate, coated with a 0.25-mm layer of dimethylsilanized chromatographic silica gel mixture, apply 10 μl of the clear upper toluene layer in the centrifuge tube and 10 μl of a Standard solution of salicylaldazine in toluene containing 9.38 μg per ml. Allow the spots to dry, and develop the chromatogram in a solvent system of methanol and water (2:1) until the solvent front has moved about three-fourths of the length of the plate. Remove the plate from the developing chamber, mark the solvent front, and allow the solvent to evaporate. Locate the spots on the plate by examination under ultraviolet light at a wavelength of 365 nm: salicylaldazine appears as a fluorescent spot having an R f value of about 0.3, and the fluorescence of any salicylaldazine spot from the test specimen is not more intense than that produced by the spot obtained from the Standard solution (1 ppm of hydrazine). Preparation of Salicylaldazine Standard: Dissolve 300 mg of hydrazine sulfate in 5 ml of a freshly prepared 20% (v/v) solution of salicylaldehyde in isopropyl alcohol, mix, and allow to stand until a yellow precipitate forms. Extract the mixture with two 15-ml portions of methylene chloride. Combine the methylene chloride extracts, and dry over anhydrous sodium sulfate. Decant the methylene chloride solution, and evaporate it to dryness. Recrystallize the residue of salicyclaldazine from a mixture of warm toluene and methanol (60:40) with cooling; filter and dry the crystals in vacuum. The crystals have a melting range of 213 o to 214 o .
Authorised in other additives, enzymes, flavourings and nutrients
These authorisations are not for use in food. They let this substance be used inside another additive, a food enzyme, a flavouring or a nutrient preparation — often as a carrier — and it reaches food only as part of that product. Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008.
| Part | May be used in | Maximum level | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annex III, Part 1: Carriers in food additives | Sweeteners | quantum satis | Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex III, Part 1 |
Every name it appears under
24 recorded names. A label may use any of them.
E number
- E1201
INS number
- 1201
CAS registry number
- 9003-39-8
As it appears in regulation
- Polyvinylpyrrolidone
Other names
- E 1201
- Polyvinylpyrrolidone
- Povidone
- PVP
- Soluble polyvinylpyrrolidone
Hazard reference values
| Type | Value | Population | Assessed by | Opinion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI | 50 mg/kg bw/day | — | JECFA | 1986 |
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 very low absorption and no genotoxicity concern for polyvinylpyrrolidone (E 1201) and polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (E 1202), and concluded that no numerical ADIs are needed and there is no safety concern at reported uses and use levels. It also found a proposed extension of PVP use to foods for special medical purposes not expected to be of 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 1201?
- E 1201 is Polyvinylpyrrolidone. Polyvinylpyrrolidone is a clarifying agent and binder, used to remove haze from beer, wine and vinegar and as a tablet binder.
- What is Polyvinylpyrrolidone used for in food?
- It is listed as a thickener and a stabiliser — the role Codex and the US assign it. This page shows every function each regulator records, with the citation for each.
- Where is Polyvinylpyrrolidone permitted?
- Of the seven regulators this site reads, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, the EU, Great Britain, Japan, the US 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 Polyvinylpyrrolidone vegan?
- Yes. Polyvinylpyrrolidone is not derived from animals, and is suitable for vegetarians. This page says what it is made from and how.
Sources for this page
- anz retrieved 2026-10-17
- ca retrieved 2026-10-17
- eu retrieved 2026-10-18
- gb retrieved 2026-10-18
- jp retrieved 2026-10-18
- ecfr retrieved 2026-10-17
- gsfa retrieved 2026-09-07
- euspecs retrieved 2026-10-18
- jecfaspecs retrieved 2026-09-23
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