E-numbers / Other additives / E1203
also: PVA · PVOH
A synthetic polymer used as a film coating on food supplement tablets and capsules. Passes through the gut largely unabsorbed.
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Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a water-soluble synthetic polymer made by polymerising vinyl acetate and then hydrolyising the acetate groups.
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a water-soluble synthetic polymer made by polymerising vinyl acetate and then hydrolyising the acetate groups. It forms thin, flexible, transparent films. In food use it is a high-molecular-weight material distinct from industrial or low-grade PVA grades. It carries no nutritional value and is not digested.
Acts as a glazing and film-forming agent. Applied as a thin coating to the surface of tablets and capsules in food supplements, it protects the contents from moisture and oxygen, masks unpleasant tastes, helps tablets slide down more easily, and gives them a smooth, consistent appearance. It dissolves in the stomach once ingested.
Found almost exclusively as a coating on food supplement tablets and capsules, including vitamin pills, mineral supplements, and herbal tablets. It is not used in ordinary grocery foods. On the label it appears as 'polyvinyl alcohol' or 'E1203' in the ingredients list of a supplement.
Studies show that high-molecular-weight polyvinyl alcohol is very poorly absorbed from the gut. The bulk passes through and is excreted. Animal studies found no accumulation in tissues at food-relevant doses. EFSA's ANS panel reviewed the available toxicological data and concluded the substance raised no safety concern at the levels used as a film coating on supplements.
EFSA's Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources (ANS) evaluated polyvinyl alcohol as a food additive for use on food supplements and found no safety concern at the authorised use level of 18,000 mg/kg in the coated product.
A 2014 EFSA statement on a proposed modification to PVA's ethanol-solubility specification concluded the change would not alter the safety assessment already in place.
Animal feeding studies with polyvinyl alcohol have not produced evidence of carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, or organ damage at doses far exceeding those from normal supplement use. Because dietary exposure from a tablet coating is extremely small, the margin between the no-observed-adverse-effect level in animals and human intake is very large.
Repeat-dose animal studies included in the original EFSA dossier showed no systemic toxicity, carcinogenicity, or reproductive effects at doses used in food-additive assessment.
No specific population group needs to avoid it based on current evidence. Anyone with a known sensitivity to PVA-based materials should check supplement labels for 'polyvinyl alcohol' or 'E1203'.
E1203 is a well-established pharmaceutical excipient that has been coating tablet medicines for decades before entering food supplements. The permitted food use is narrow: only as a coating on supplement tablets and capsules, so the quantity a person actually ingests is tiny. The toxicological database is consistent across animal and in-vitro work, and EFSA has reviewed it twice without raising a concern. There is no live scientific debate about this additive at current exposure levels.
No. E1203 is approved in the UK under the retained version of EU Regulation 1333/2008 and appears on the FSA's approved-additives list. Its use is restricted to glazing or film-coating food supplements in tablet or capsule form.
Polyvinyl alcohol has a very long track record as a coating material in pharmaceutical tablets. It forms a thin, water-soluble film that protects the contents from moisture and air, masks bitter tastes, and helps tablets pass down the throat. The same properties made it attractive for supplement manufacturers. The coating dissolves once it reaches the stomach.
Almost exclusively food supplements, such as vitamin and mineral tablets and capsules. It is not authorised for use in ordinary grocery foods such as confectionery, beverages, or packaged meals.
Yes. Polyvinyl alcohol is a fully synthetic polymer derived from petrochemical starting materials. It contains no animal-derived ingredients.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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