E-numbers, in plain English.

Every UK food additive: what it is, what it does, and what the science actually says. 459 of them, each with the sources.

459 additives · 118 worth watching

What is an E-number?

An E-number is a code for a food additive that has passed safety assessment for use in the UK and EU. The number tells you the job it does: 100s are colours, 200s preservatives, 300s antioxidants and acidity regulators, 400s thickeners and emulsifiers, and so on.

Are they bad for you?

Most are mundane. E300 is vitamin C, E330 is citric acid, E440 is fruit pectin. A smaller number carry genuine, evidenced concerns: the artificial colours linked to hyperactivity in children, the nitrites in processed meat, the additives a regulator has flagged or restricted. The honest position is that "E-number" tells you almost nothing on its own. The specific additive is what matters.

Which are worth watching?

We flag 118 as worth watching, the ones with a sourced concern: a cancer classification, a child-behaviour warning, an allergen risk, or a regulator that could not confirm safety. See the ones worth watching, or search any code or name above.

How to read a label

Additives are listed by their job, then a name or E-number, for example "colour: E150d" or "preservative: sodium nitrite (E250)". Search any code or name above to see what it is, what it does, and what the science actually says.

Every additive, in plain English

NutraSafe reads the label and puts every additive into plain English, with the source, right in the app.

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Last reviewed: 20 June 2026