E-numbers / Other additives / E1206
also: NMC · Ethyl acrylate-methyl methacrylate copolymer
A synthetic polymer used to coat vitamin and mineral tablets so nutrients release slowly as the tablet dissolves in the gut.
Scan a barcode to check a food for neutral methacrylate copolymer. NutraSafe Pro · £6.99/month · iPhone and Android
Use in solid food supplements at proposed levels was of no safety concern; absence of chronic and reproductive data meant no ADI could be set.
Why it’s worth knowing. Use in solid food supplements at proposed levels was of no safety concern; absence of chronic and reproductive data meant no ADI could be set.
A synthetic polymer made from methacrylic acid esters (specifically butyl methacrylate and methyl methacrylate). It belongs to the same chemical family as Eudragit NE/NM polymers used in pharmaceutical tablet coatings. Produced by polymerisation of the monomer units, it forms a flexible, water-insoluble film.
Applied as a thin film coating to compressed tablets or pellets inside capsules. The coating controls how quickly the contents dissolve in the digestive tract, creating a sustained-release effect. Because it is water-insoluble but slowly permeable, it allows gradual diffusion of the active ingredient rather than an immediate burst of release.
Found only in solid food supplements, such as multivitamin tablets, mineral supplements, and similar compressed or pellet-based products. It is not used in everyday food or drink. On a UK label it will appear in the ingredients list as 'neutral methacrylate copolymer' or 'E1206'.
The European Food Safety Authority evaluated neutral methacrylate copolymer in 2012 ahead of its authorisation in 2013. EFSA concluded that the polymer is not appreciably absorbed from the gut and breaks down or passes through without systemic accumulation. At the levels used in food supplement coatings, the panel found no toxicological signal of concern in the available data.
EFSA's Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources assessed neutral methacrylate copolymer and found no safety concern at the use levels proposed for solid food supplements, noting the polymer is not significantly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.
Methacrylate copolymers have been used in pharmaceutical tablet coatings for decades under trade names such as Eudragit. The long track record in medicines informed the EFSA assessment for food use. The neutral (non-ionic) variant used as E1206 does not dissolve in stomach acid or intestinal fluid; instead it controls release by diffusion through the coating membrane.
Neutral methacrylate copolymers (Eudragit NE/NM type) have an established history of use in pharmaceutical modified-release oral dosage forms and are included in pharmacopoeia monographs in Europe and the US.
No group has been identified as needing to avoid E1206 specifically. People with allergies to acrylic or methacrylic polymers should check supplement labels for 'neutral methacrylate copolymer' or 'E1206', though such allergies are rare in the context of oral ingestion.
E1206 is a narrow-use coating additive found only on supplement tablets, not in food. The underlying polymer family has a long record in pharmaceutical coatings. There is no active scientific debate about it at the population level because dietary exposure is small and confined to supplement users. Methacrylate monomers (the raw materials before polymerisation) have occupational exposure concerns, but the polymer as authorised for food use is a different form with a much lower reactivity profile. There are no independent long-term studies on E1206 as a food additive specifically, so the evidence base rests on regulatory review and the pharmaceutical track record rather than large-scale population data.
No. E1206 is on the UK FSA approved-additives list and is permitted for use in solid food supplements in both the UK and EU.
Methacrylate copolymers have been used in medicine for decades to create sustained-release tablets. Food supplement manufacturers adopted the same technology to control how quickly vitamins or minerals dissolve in the gut. The EU authorised this specific use in 2013 after a safety review by EFSA.
Only solid food supplements such as multivitamin tablets or mineral capsules. It is not used in everyday food or drink. You will not encounter it in supermarket food products.
The polymer itself is synthetic and contains no animal-derived ingredients, so it is considered vegan. However, the tablet or capsule it coats may contain other non-vegan ingredients, so the supplement as a whole should be checked separately.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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