E957Sweetener
Thaumatin
What the research shows
Unclear
the research on this page hasn’t settled it
A sweetener from a West African fruit.
It sweetens food and changes flavour, though its sweetness builds slowly.1
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- EU permitted
What research says
Studies in people
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Open question
Allergic reactions to sweeteners2
Scientists could not tell from human studies whether thaumatin causes allergic reactions when eaten.
Animal and lab studies only
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Open question
Allergic reaction risk3
In animal studies, thaumatin caused a weak allergic response when injected, but not when eaten.
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 one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. 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.
What expert reviews concluded
Expert panels that weigh all the research. Shown for context: the signal at the top does not count them.
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UN and WHO food additive experts (JECFA), 2025
No daily limit needed (“ADI not specified”, JECFA’s term for very low toxicity).
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 · Sweeteners
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 33 products on Open Food Facts that list thaumatin.
- PERFORMANCE PROTEIN form · 520 g 6 additives
- Performance Protein form · 520 g 6 additives
- Shreddies Honey Post · 440 g 2 additives
- Chocolate Hazelnut Performance Protein Form · 520 g 6 additives
- Red Bull Zero Red Bull · 250 ml 11 additives
- Whey Protein Naturaltein · 1 kg 7 additives
References
- 1Thaumatin. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 2Younes M, Aquilina G, Castle L, et al. Re-evaluation of thaumatin (E 957) as food additive. EFSA J. 2021;19(11):e06884. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6884
- 3Higginbotham JD, Snodin DJ, Eaton KK, Daniel JW. Safety evaluation of thaumatin (Talin protein). Food Chem Toxicol. 1983;21(6):815-23. doi:10.1016/0278-6915(83)90218-1