E235Preservative
Natamycin
A preservative used in food.
It is put in food to preserve it.
Written from Open Food Facts taxonomy1
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- EU permitted
What research says
Study type not stated
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Concern
Gut yeast resistance3
Natamycin in yoghurt and drinks may help gut yeasts become resistant to this antifungal, scientists warn.
How it’s made and used
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Food spoilage prevention2
Natamycin is a natural preservative that stops yeast and mold from growing in foods like yogurt and juices.
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Preservatives in a yogurt drink4
Natamycin levels in doogh stayed within international limits and below the daily intake considered acceptable.
The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.
Regulatory status
Checked Sep 2026-
European Union Permitted EUR-Lex Reg. (EC) 1333/2008
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United Kingdom Permitted FSA retained EU law
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Canada Permitted Health Canada · Preservatives
Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating. A country appears here once we've found this ingredient on its official list.
How we checkProducts
The 6 most-scanned of 4,600 products on Open Food Facts that list natamycin.
- Feta Crumbles President · 24 oz 2 additives
- Chicken Sausage Parmesan & Cracked Black Pepper Kirkland · 48 oz 2 additives
- 100% Whole Wheat Bread Great Value · 20 oz 10 additives
- Feta Crumbles President · 6 oz 2 additives
- Sous Vide Egg Bites Kirkland Signature · 21 oz 7 additives
- American Singles Kraft · 16 oz 4 additives
References
- 1Natamycin: ingredient taxonomy entry. Open Food Facts.
- 2Meena M, Prajapati P, Ravichandran C, Sehrawat R. Natamycin: a natural preservative for food applications-a review. Food Sci Biotechnol. 2021;30(12):1481-1496. doi:10.1007/s10068-021-00981-1
- 3Dalhoff AA, Levy SB. Does use of the polyene natamycin as a food preservative jeopardise the clinical efficacy of amphotericin B? A word of concern. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2015;45(6):564-7. doi:10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2015.02.011
- 4Muhammad Abdulla S, Aslani R, Zarghi MH, Sadighara P, Fathabad AE. Sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, and natamycin levels in doogh from Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan region of Iraq and health risk assessment. Food Addit Contam Part B Surveill. 2025;18(3):230-237. doi:10.1080/19393210.2025.2478422