Pectin and amidated pectin as food additives
What it found
Pectin and amidated pectin are broken down by gut bacteria rather than absorbed whole, and no harmful effects were seen in animal studies or in a six-week human study.
The authors say there is no safety concern for their use as food additives.
What they found
Studies in people
Human study
A dose of 36 g per day, equivalent to 515 mg/kg body weight per day, for 6 weeks in humans was without adverse effects.
Animal and lab studies
Damage to genetic material
There is no sign that pectin or amidated pectin damage genetic material, though the available data were limited.
Long-term rat study
No harmful effects were reported in a long-term toxicity study in rats at levels up to 5,000 mg pectin/kg body weight per day, the highest dose tested.
Reproductive study in rats
No effects linked to treatment were seen in a one-generation reproductive toxicity study in rats fed pectin-derived acidic oligosaccharides at up to 6,200 mg/kg body weight per day, the highest dose tested.
Studies in people and animals
How it is broken down
Pectin and amidated pectin are not absorbed whole. They are extensively fermented by gut bacteria in animals and humans, and the products formed are similar to manufactured pectin-derived acidic oligosaccharides.
Other findings
Allergy potential
The panel did not consider E 440i and E 440ii as having allergenic potential.
Exposure from additives
Exposure to pectins from their use as food additives ranged up to 442 mg/kg body weight per day for toddlers at the 95th percentile in the brand-loyal scenario.
What the authors conclude
“The Panel concluded that there is no safety concern for the use of pectin (E 440i) and amidated pectin (E 440ii) as food additives for the general population and that there is no need for a numerical ADI.”
Also in their conclusions
- They concluded that there is no safety concern for the use of pectin (E 440i) and amidated pectin (E 440ii) as food additives for the general population.
- They also concluded that there is no need for a numerical acceptable daily intake.
How it was done
The European Commission asked the EFSA panel to re-evaluate pectin (E 440i) and amidated pectin (E 440ii) as food additives.
They looked at animal studies, including a long-term rat study at doses up to 5,000 mg pectin/kg body weight per day and a reproductive study in rats with pectin-derived acidic oligosaccharides at up to 6,200 mg/kg body weight per day. They also looked at a human study where people took 36 g per day for 6 weeks.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The long-term and reproductive studies were in rats, so they cannot show what happens in people over a lifetime.
- The human study only lasted 6 weeks, so it cannot show effects from longer use.
The paper
- Title
- Re-evaluation of pectin (E 440i) and amidated pectin (E 440ii) as food additives
- 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 pectin (E 440i) and amidated pectin (E 440ii) as food additives. EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4866Free full textPubMed 32625540DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error