Sodium polyacrylate

CAS 9003-04-7

Sodium polyacrylate is a thickener and processing aid. It is the same class of polymer used as the absorbent in nappies, though in food it is used for viscosity rather than absorption.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of Sodium polyacrylate by jurisdiction. Every jurisdiction this site covers is listed, including those where the substance does not appear.
JurisdictionStatusScope and limitsCitation
United StatesFood and Drug AdministrationPermitted, with conditions21 CFR 173.73retrieved 2026-09-07
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFANot listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited.

What it is made from

Produced by polymerising acrylic acid and neutralising with sodium.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
CAS registry number
9003-04-7

Every name it appears under

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

CAS registry number

  • 9003-04-7

As it appears in regulation

  • Sodium polyacrylate

Other names

  • Polyacrylic acid, sodium salt

Systematic names

  • 2-Propenoic acid, homopolymer, sodium salt

Hazard reference values

No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.

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

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

Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/sodium-polyacrylate.json