E number
E numbers are codes for food additives and are usually found on food labels throughout the European Union. The numbering scheme follows that of the International Numbering System (INS) as determined by the Codex Alimentarius committee. Only a subset of the INS additives are approved for use in the European Union, giving rise to the 'E' prefix.
E numbers are also encountered on food labeling in other jurisdictions, including Australia, New Zealand and Israel. They are increasingly (though still rarely) found on North American packaging, especially in Canada
Classification by numeric range
NB: Not all examples of a class fall into the given numeric range. Moreover, many chemicals, particularly in the E400–499 range, have a variety of purposes.
Full list
E100–E199 (colours)
- E100 Curcumin, turmeric (food colouring)
- E101 Riboflavin (Vitamin B<sub>2</sub>), formerly called lactoflavin (Vitamin G) (food colouring)
- E101a Riboflavin-5'-Phosphate (food colouring)
- E102 Tartrazine (FD&C Yellow 5) (food colouring)
- E103 Chrysoine resorcinol (food colouring)
- E104 Quinoline yellow (food colouring)
- E105 Fast Yellow AB (food colouring)
- E106 Riboflavin-5-Sodium Phosphate (food colouring)
- E107 Yellow 2G (food colouring)
- E110 Sunset Yellow FCF, Orange Yellow S, FD&C Yellow 6 (food colouring)
- E111 Orange GGN (food colouring)
- E120 Cochineal, Carminic acid, Carmines, Natural Red 4 (food colouring)
- E121 Orcein, Orchil (food colouring)
- E122 Carmoisine, Azorubine (food colouring)
- E123 Amaranth (FD&C Red 2) (food colouring)
- E124 Ponceau 4R, Cochineal Red A, Brilliant Scarlet 4R (food colouring)
- E125 Ponceau SX, Scarlet GN (food colouring)
- E126 Ponceau 6R (food colouring)
- E127 Erythrosine (FD&C Red 3) (food colouring)
- E128 Red 2G (food colouring)
- E129 Allura Red AC (FD&C Red 40) (food colouring)
- E130 Indanthrene blue RS (food colouring)
- E131 Patent Blue V (food colouring)
- E132 Indigo carmine, Indigotine, FD&C Blue 2 (food colouring)
- E133 Brilliant Blue FCF (FD&C Blue 1) (food colouring)
- E140 Chlorophylls and Chlorophyllins: (i) Chlorophylls (ii) Chlorophyllins (food colouring)
- E141 Copper complexes of chlorophylls and chlorophyllins (i) Copper complexes of chlorophylls (ii) Copper complexes of chlorophyllins (food colouring)
- E142 Greens S (food colouring)
- E143 Fast Green FCF (FD&C Green 3) (food colouring)
- E150a Plain Caramel (food colouring)
- E150b Caustic sulfite caramel (food colouring)
- E150c Ammonia caramel (food colouring)
- E150d Sulphite ammonia caramel (food colouring)
- E151 Black PN, Brilliant Black BN (food colouring)
- E152 Black 7984 (food colouring)
- E153 Carbon black, Vegetable carbon (food colouring)
- E154 Brown FK, Kipper Brown (food colouring)
- E155 Brown HT, Chocolate brown HT (food colouring)
- E160a Alpha-carotene, Beta-carotene, Gamma-carotene (food colouring)
- E160b Annatto, bixin, norbixin (food colouring)
- E160c Capsanthin, capsorubin, Paprika extract (food colouring)
- E160d Lycopene (food colouring)
- E160e Beta-apo-8'-carotenal (C 30) (food colouring)
- E160f Ethyl ester of beta-apo-8'-carotenic acid (C 30) (food colouring)
- E161a Flavoxanthin (food colouring)
- E161b Lutein (food colouring)
- E161c Cryptoxanthin (food colouring)
- E161d Rubixanthin (food colouring)
- E161e Violaxanthin (food colouring)
- E161f Rhodoxanthin (food colouring)
- E161g Canthaxanthin (food colouring)
- E161h Zeaxanthin (food colouring)
- E161i Citranaxanthin (food colouring)
- E161j Astaxanthin (food colouring)
- E162 Beetroot Red, Betanin (food colouring)
- E163 Anthocyanins (food colouring)
- E170 Calcium carbonate, Chalk (food colouring)
- E171 Titanium dioxide (food colouring)
- E172 Iron oxides and hydroxides (food colouring)
- E173 Aluminium (food colouring)
- E174 Silver (food colouring)
- E175 Gold (food colouring)
- E180 Pigment Rubine, Lithol Rubine BK (food colouring)
- E181 Tannin (food colouring)
E200–E299 (preservatives)
E300–E399 (antioxidants, acidity regulators)
E400–E499 (thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers)
E500–E599 (acidity regulators, anti-caking agents)
E600–E699 (flavour enhancers)
E900–E999 (miscellaneous)
E1000–E1999 (additional chemicals)
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