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What’s actually in your food

Plain explanations of the additives and E-numbers on a food label, what the US, EU, UK and Canada each decided about them, and a source behind every claim.

Nutrition Facts

8 servings per container

Serving size2/3 cup (55g)

Ingredients 14 listed · 6 with an E-number

Wheat flour
Sugar
Palm oil
Titanium dioxideE171 LecithinsE322 CarrageenanE407
Sodium carbonatesE500
Allura redE129
+ 6 more
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Banned as a food additive in the EU In 2021 the European Food Safety Authority said it could no longer rule out damage to DNA. The EU stopped allowing it in food in 2022. The US, the UK and Canada still allow it. Titanium dioxide · E171 May not be vegan Lecithin can come from soy, sunflower or egg. Open Food Facts records it as “maybe” vegan, and we show it that way. Lecithins · E322
Permitted in all four countries Some of the studies that raised alarm tested degraded carrageenan, also called poligeenan. That is a different substance, and it is not used as a food additive. Carrageenan · E407 Carries a warning in the EU In the EU, foods coloured with it must carry a warning that it may affect activity and attention in children. Allura red · E129

Start with one of these

Titanium dioxide E171Lecithins E322Carrageenan E407Xanthan gum E415Citric acid E330
867ingredient pages so far
4,535,553product labels read, from Open Food Facts
US · EU · UK · Canadafood additive rules checked

Four countries, side by side

Each additive page shows what the United States, the EU, the UK and Canada decided about it. Each answer links to that country's own list. If we couldn't find the additive on a country's list, we leave that country out rather than guess.

  • United States Permitted FDA 21 CFR 73.575
  • European Union Banned EUR-Lex Reg. (EC) 1333/2008
  • United Kingdom Permitted in Great Britain FSA retained EU law Northern Ireland follows EU rules: not permitted there.
  • Canada Permitted Health Canada · Colouring Agents

Common questions about food additives

What’s on every ingredient page

  1. 01

    Four countries, side by side

    The US, the EU, the UK and Canada, shown together wherever we found the additive on their lists. A country we couldn't match is left out, not marked as banned.

  2. 02

    A source for every line

    Every finding links to the paper it came from, and every rule links to the regulator's own list.

  3. 03

    We don't tell you what to eat

    We give no scores and no rankings. Each page reports what the studies found and what the rules say.

How we check all this →