{
  "$schema": "https://foodadditiveindex.com/api/v1/schema.json",
  "id": "https://foodadditiveindex.com/additives/sodium-alginate",
  "slug": "sodium-alginate",
  "name": "Sodium alginate",
  "identifiers": {
    "e_number": "E401",
    "ins_number": "401",
    "cas_number": "9005-38-3",
    "inchikey": null,
    "pubchem_cid": null
  },
  "functional_class": "Emulsifier",
  "summary": "Sodium alginate is the most used of the alginates, a seaweed thickener that forms a gel instantly on contact with calcium. That reaction is what produces the spheres in modernist cooking and the pimento in stuffed olives.",
  "derivation_summary": "Extracted from brown seaweed with alkali and isolated as the sodium salt. No animal material is involved.",
  "regulatory_status": [
    {
      "jurisdiction": "US",
      "jurisdiction_name": "United States",
      "authority": "Food and Drug Administration",
      "status": "permitted",
      "status_label": "Permitted",
      "provision_count": 1,
      "provisions": [
        {
          "status": "permitted",
          "food_category": null,
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": null,
          "conditions": null,
          "effective_from": null,
          "citation": {
            "ref": "21 CFR 184.1724",
            "url": "https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-184.1724"
          },
          "source": "ecfr",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T18:25:51.549Z"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "jurisdiction": "CODEX",
      "jurisdiction_name": "Codex Alimentarius",
      "authority": "Codex Alimentarius Commission / JECFA",
      "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
      "status_label": "Permitted, with conditions",
      "provision_count": 23,
      "provisions": [
        {
          "status": "permitted",
          "food_category": null,
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": null,
          "effective_from": "1999",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table Three, INS 401",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "01.2.1.1",
            "name": "Fermented milks (plain), not heat-treated after fermentation"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 234 & 235",
          "effective_from": "2015",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 01.2.1.1",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "01.2.1.2",
            "name": "Fermented milks (plain), heat-treated after fermentation"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 234",
          "effective_from": "2013",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 01.2.1.2",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "01.2.2",
            "name": "Renneted milk (plain)"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": null,
          "effective_from": "2015",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 01.2.2",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "01.4.1",
            "name": "Pasteurized cream (plain)"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: XS288",
          "effective_from": "2013",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 01.4.1",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "01.4.2",
            "name": "Sterilized and UHT creams, whipping and whipped creams, and reduced fat creams (plain)"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": null,
          "effective_from": "2013",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 01.4.2",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "04.1.1.2",
            "name": "Surface-treated fresh fruit"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 453 & 454",
          "effective_from": "2021",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 04.1.1.2",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "04.2.1.2",
            "name": "Surface-treated fresh vegetables, (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweeds and nuts and seeds"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 455 & 456",
          "effective_from": "2021",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 04.2.1.2",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
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          "source": "gsfa",
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        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "06.4.1",
            "name": "Fresh pastas and noodles and like products"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 211",
          "effective_from": "2014",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 06.4.1",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
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        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "06.4.2",
            "name": "Dried pastas and noodles and like products"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 256",
          "effective_from": "2014",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 06.4.2",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "08.1.1",
            "name": "Fresh meat, poultry and game, whole pieces or cuts"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 16 & 326",
          "effective_from": "2015",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 08.1.1",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "08.1.2",
            "name": "Fresh meat, poultry and game, comminuted"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 281",
          "effective_from": "2014",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 08.1.2",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "09.2.1",
            "name": "Frozen fish, fish fillets, and fish products, including molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: XS36, XS92, XS95, XS191, XS292, XS312 & XS315",
          "effective_from": "2017",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 09.2.1",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "09.2.2",
            "name": "Frozen battered fish, fish fillets and fish products, including molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 210 & 332",
          "effective_from": "2017",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 09.2.2",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "09.2.3",
            "name": "Frozen minced and creamed fish products, including molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": null,
          "effective_from": "2014",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 09.2.3",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "09.2.4.1",
            "name": "Cooked fish and fish products"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 16 & 325",
          "effective_from": "2015",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 09.2.4.1",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "09.2.4.2",
            "name": "Cooked molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 16 & 325",
          "effective_from": "2015",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 09.2.4.2",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
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        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "09.2.4.3",
            "name": "Fried fish and fish products, including molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 41, 325 & 332",
          "effective_from": "2015",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 09.2.4.3",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
          "retrieved_at": "2026-09-07T07:54:15.059Z"
        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "09.2.5",
            "name": "Smoked, dried, fermented, and/or salted fish and fish products, including molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 300, 332, XS167, XS189, XS222, XS236, XS244 & XS311",
          "effective_from": "2018",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 09.2.5",
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          },
          "source": "gsfa",
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        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "10.2.1",
            "name": "Liquid egg products"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": null,
          "effective_from": "2014",
          "citation": {
            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 10.2.1",
            "url": "https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/"
          },
          "source": "gsfa",
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        },
        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
          "food_category": {
            "system": "codex",
            "code": "10.2.2",
            "name": "Frozen egg products"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": null,
          "effective_from": "2014",
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            "ref": "CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 401, food category 10.2.2",
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          "source": "gsfa",
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        {
          "status": "permitted_with_conditions",
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            "system": "codex",
            "code": "11.4",
            "name": "Other sugars and syrups (e.g. xylose, maple syrup, sugar toppings)"
          },
          "max_level": null,
          "max_level_unit": "GMP",
          "conditions": "GSFA notes: 258",
          "effective_from": "2014",
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          "source": "gsfa",
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          },
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          "source": "gsfa",
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      ]
    }
  ],
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    {
      "name": "9005-38-3",
      "type": "cas",
      "source": "ecfr"
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  "hazard_reference_values": [],
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  "citation_policy": "Cite as: Food Additive Index, \"Sodium alginate\", https://foodadditiveindex.com/additives/sodium-alginate. This site reports regulatory status and does not rate additives.",
  "generated_at": "2026-09-08T00:09:38.679Z"
}