Humectants

Stops a food drying out.

77 additives that at least one regulator lists as humectants: 4 by Canada, 44 by United States and 49 by Codex Alimentarius. Each mark shows the term that regulator used; follow it for the citation.

A function is not a permission. Being listed here says what a regulator treats the additive as, not that it is permitted in any particular food or place — its own page shows that. Where a regulator leaves a cell empty, it has not assigned this function in the sources this site reads; it may assign another, or none.

The US column is the least complete. Only some US listings name their technical effect by citing 21 CFR 170.3(o); many, especially in part 172, describe their use in their own words, and this site does not read a function into that prose. An empty US cell says little.

AdditiveCAUSCodex
Agar E406—HumectantsHumectant
Alginic acid E400——Humectant
Ammonium alginate E403—HumectantsHumectant
Ammonium polyphosphate INS 452(v)——Humectant
Arabinogalactan—Humectant—
Bone phosphate INS 542——Humectant
Calcium alginate E404——Humectant
Calcium carbonate E170—Humectant—
Calcium chloride E509—Humectants; Humectant—
Calcium dihydrogen diphosphate E450(vii)——Humectant
Calcium hydrogen phosphate E341—HumectantHumectant
Calcium phosphate E341—HumectantHumectant
Calcium polyphosphate E452——Humectant
Carrageenan E407—HumectantHumectant
Cassia gum E427——Humectant
Corn sugar—Humectant—
Corn syrup—Humectant—
Dextrin INS 1400—Humectant—
Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate INS 480——Humectant
Dipotassium phosphate E340——Humectant
Disodium phosphate E339——Humectant
Erythritol E968——Humectant
Gelatin—Humectant—
Glycerin E422HumectantHumectantHumectant
Glyceryl monooleate—Humectant—
Guar gum E412—Humectant—
Gum arabic (Acacia gum) E414—Humectants—
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose E464—Humectant—
Konjac flour E425——Humectant
Lecithin E322—Humectant—
Magnesium carbonate E504—Humectant—
Magnesium oxide E530—Humectant—
Magnesium stearate INS 470(iii)—Humectant—
Maltitol INS 965(i)——Humectant
Maltitol syrup E965——Humectant
Maltodextrin—Humectant—
Mannitol E421——Humectant
Mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids E471Humectant——
Monobasic calcium phosphate E341——Humectant
MonoglyceridesHumectant——
Pentapotassium triphosphate INS 451(ii)——Humectant
Polydextrose E1200—HumectantHumectant
Potassium acid tartrate E336—Humectants—
Potassium alginate E402——Humectant
Potassium dihydrogen phosphate INS 340(i)——Humectant
Potassium lactate E326—HumectantsHumectant
Potassium polyphosphate E452—HumectantHumectant
Powdered cellulose E460——Humectant
Processed eucheuma seaweed (PES) E407a——Humectant
Propylene glycol E1520HumectantHumectants; HumectantHumectant
Shellac, bleached E904—Humectant—
Silicon dioxide E551—Humectant—
Sodium acid phosphate INS 339(i)—HumectantHumectant
Sodium acid pyrophosphate E450——Humectant
Sodium alginate E401——Humectant
Sodium aluminium phosphate, acidic E541—Humectant—
Sodium aluminosilicate E554—Humectant—
Sodium calcium polyphosphate E452——Humectant
Sodium carboxymethylcellulose E466—HumectantHumectant
Sodium DL-malate INS 350(ii)——Humectant
Sodium hydrogen DL-malate INS 350(i)——Humectant
Sodium lactate E325—HumectantsHumectant
Sodium polyphosphate E452——Humectant
Sodium pyrophosphate E450(iii)—Humectant—
Sodium tripolyphosphate E451—HumectantHumectant
Sorbitol E420—Humectants; HumectantHumectant
Sorbitol syrup INS 420(ii)——Humectant
Tartaric acid E334—Humectants; Humectant—
Tetrapotassium pyrophosphate E450(v)——Humectant
Titanium dioxide E171—Humectant—
Triacetin E1518—Humectants; HumectantHumectant
Tripotassium phosphate INS 340(iii)——Humectant
Trisodium diphosphate E450(ii)——Humectant
Trisodium phosphate INS 339(iii)—HumectantHumectant
Xylitol E967—HumectantHumectant
Yellow prussiate of soda E535—Humectant—
Zein—Humectant—