Tragacanth gum E 413 as a food additive
What it found
Tragacanth gum was well tolerated in people who took large daily amounts for up to 21 days.
The authors found no safety concern at the amounts used in food.
What they found
Studies in people
Tolerance in people
People who took large daily amounts of tragacanth, up to 9,900 mg per person per day for up to 21 days, tolerated it well.
Animal and lab studies
Cancer studies
No adverse effects were reported in cancer studies at the highest dose tested.
Damage to genetic material
There is no concern about damage to genetic material.
Other findings
How it behaves in the body
Tragacanth is unlikely to be absorbed intact and is partly fermented by gut bacteria.
Daily intake limit
The authors concluded that no numerical acceptable daily intake is needed for tragacanth (E 413).
What the authors conclude
“The Panel concluded that there is no need for a numerical ADI for tragacanth (E 413) and that there is no safety concern for the general population at the refined exposure assessment of tragacanth (E 413) as a food additive at the reported uses and use levels.”
Also in their conclusions
- They concluded that there is no need for a numerical ADI for tragacanth (E 413).
- They concluded that there is no safety concern for the general population at the refined exposure assessment of tragacanth (E 413) as a food additive at the reported uses and use levels.
How it was done
Tragacanth (E 413) had been assessed before by the EU Scientific Committee for Food and by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, which both set an acceptable daily intake 'not specified' for this gum. The authors re-evaluated it under Commission Regulation (EU) No 257/2010.
They looked at existing data on how much tragacanth people are exposed to and its toxicity. This included studies where people took up to 9,900 mg tragacanth per person per day (about 141 mg per kg body weight per day) for up to 21 days.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The cancer and genetic material studies were done in lab animals or cells, so they cannot show what happens in people.
- The human tolerance study lasted up to 21 days, so it cannot show what happens over longer periods.
The paper
- Title
- Re-evaluation of tragacanth (E 413) as a food additive
- Type
- Scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS), Mortensen A, Aguilar F, et al (2017). Re-evaluation of tragacanth (E 413) as a food additive. EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4789Free full textPubMed 32625506DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error