CLINICALLY PROVEN PROFESSIONALLY DESIGNED BIG PACK

What it is. The potassium salt of sorbic acid, which stops mould and yeast growth.

Why it is used. Used in cheese, baked goods, dried fruit, wine and dressings.

What the evidence says. Widely used and long regarded as one of the gentler preservatives. EFSA's 2015 re-evaluation lowered the acceptable daily intake and noted gaps in the genotoxicity data, asking for more work, while finding no evidence of harm at the levels actually used.

Permitted with maximum levels. EFSA has asked for further data rather than restricted it.

Assessed against EFSA. Full entry for E202

What it is. A preservative that stops yeasts, moulds and some bacteria growing in acidic foods.

Why it is used. Used in soft drinks, sauces, pickles and dressings.

What the evidence says. EFSA re-evaluated it in 2016 and kept an acceptable daily intake, with normal exposure below it. The known issue is specific: in acidic drinks that also contain vitamin C, benzoate can form small amounts of benzene, so manufacturers reformulated to avoid the combination. It was also present in the drink mixes used in the Southampton hyperactivity study, though the warning requirement that followed applies to the colours rather than to benzoate.

Permitted with maximum levels in the foods where it is allowed.

Assessed against EFSA, UK FSA. Full entry for E211

What it is. A gel forming fibre extracted from red seaweed.

Why it is used. Thickens dairy, plant milks, desserts and some processed meats.

What the evidence says. Food grade carrageenan is permitted. A degraded form called poligeenan is harmful, but that is not what goes into food. Some lab and animal work links carrageenan to gut inflammation, which keeps it under review, but human evidence is limited and mixed.

Permitted, including in organic food in many places, though a few specialist products avoid it as a precaution.

Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E407

What it is. An intense sweetener made from sugar, around 600 times sweeter, so it is used in very small amounts.

Why it is used. Sweetens diet drinks, tabletop sweeteners, dairy and baked goods.

What the evidence says. Regulators have treated it as safe for decades and the acceptable daily intake has not changed. Newer laboratory work on a breakdown product, and the general question of sweeteners and the gut microbiome, keep it under discussion, but that work is early and has not moved any official position.

Permitted with an acceptable daily intake in all three regions.

Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E955

What it is. A mild acid found naturally in citrus fruit, made commercially by fermentation.

Why it is used. Adds tartness, balances flavour and helps preserve. One of the most used additives in food.

What the evidence says. Safe at food levels. No credible health concern for the additive itself.

Permitted freely.

Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E330

What it is. A fibre made by fermenting sugars with a bacterium, which thickens liquids at very low doses.

Why it is used. Thickens sauces and dressings and gives structure to gluten free baking.

What the evidence says. Passes through largely undigested and is treated as safe by regulators, with no numerical intake limit. Very large amounts act as fibre does, which is a digestive effect rather than a safety one.

Permitted freely.

Assessed against EFSA, JECFA. Full entry for E415