Anionic methacrylate copolymer
A synthetic polymer coating used on supplement tablets and capsules to control where they dissolve in the digestive tract.
What is it?
Anionic methacrylate copolymer is a synthetic acrylic polymer, a co-polymer of methacrylic acid and ethyl acrylate or methyl methacrylate. It is pH-sensitive: at the low pH of stomach acid it remains intact, but dissolves in the higher pH of the small intestine. This enteric-coating behaviour is the basis of its use.
What does it do?
Applied as a thin film coating to the outside of supplement tablets, capsules, pellets or powders. The coating is insoluble in stomach acid, so it prevents the tablet from breaking down in the stomach. Once past the stomach, the rising pH in the small intestine causes the polymer to dissolve and release the contents. This protects acid-sensitive nutrients from degradation and protects the stomach lining from irritating substances.
Where you will see it
Found almost exclusively in solid food supplements, such as vitamin, mineral and omega-3 tablets and capsules where enteric coating is needed. It does not appear in ordinary packaged foods. On a supplement label it may be listed as 'anionic methacrylate copolymer', 'methacrylic acid copolymer' or under the collective term 'coating agent'.
What the science says
Toxicology and genotoxicity
Laboratory studies in the early 2010s examined whether anionic methacrylate copolymer or its breakdown products could damage DNA or cause genetic mutations. The studies found no evidence of genotoxicity. Bioavailability work confirmed very little of the polymer is absorbed into the body after oral ingestion; most passes through and is excreted intact or as small fragments.
Toxicological assessment found no genotoxic activity in standard battery tests and very low systemic bioavailability after oral exposure.
EFSA safety review
In 2010 the European Food Safety Authority reviewed the evidence and concluded that use as a coating agent in solid food supplements did not raise a safety concern at the proposed levels. The margin of safety was calculated at least 43-fold for adults and at least 63-fold for children. EFSA noted it could not fully evaluate safety for use in foods for special medical purposes (FSMP) due to insufficient data, and no subsequent EFSA opinion resolved this gap. When the European Commission formally authorised E1207 in 2013, it restricted the permission to solid food supplements only; FSMP was not included.
EFSA concluded that anionic methacrylate copolymer as a glazing and coating agent in solid food supplements does not raise a safety concern at the discussed use levels, with a margin of safety of at least 43 for adults and 63 for children.
EFSA noted insufficient data to assess safety for use in solid foods for special medical purposes, representing a data gap. The 2013 Commission authorisation (Regulation (EU) No 816/2013) addressed this by restricting E1207 to food category 17.1 (solid food supplements) only, excluding FSMP.
Where it stands with the regulators
Who should be careful
E1207 is used only in supplement coatings. People with known sensitivities to acrylic polymers or related compounds should check supplement ingredient lists for 'anionic methacrylate copolymer' or 'methacrylic acid copolymer'. It does not appear in ordinary food products.
The honest read
E1207 is a narrow-use coating ingredient: it appears only on the outside of supplement tablets and capsules, not in food itself. Very little is absorbed by the body. The published toxicology work found no genotoxic signals. EFSA set no numerical acceptable daily intake because exposure from supplement coatings is low and the safety margins from existing studies were large. The science here is limited in volume simply because the ingredient has such restricted uses, but what exists does not flag a concern.
Related additives
Common questions
Is E1207 banned in the UK?
No. E1207 is authorised in the UK under the assimilated EU food additive regulations, confirmed as of 31 December 2020. It is permitted specifically for use as a coating agent in solid food supplements.
What does E1207 actually do in a supplement tablet?
It forms a thin pH-sensitive coating around the tablet or capsule. The coating does not dissolve in the acidic environment of the stomach, so the tablet passes through intact. When it reaches the small intestine, where pH is higher, the coating dissolves and releases the contents. This is called enteric coating.
What foods contain E1207?
E1207 is not used in ordinary packaged foods. It is found only on solid food supplements, such as coated vitamin, mineral and fish oil capsules and tablets. You will not encounter it in bread, drinks, snacks or other everyday products.
Is E1207 vegan?
Yes. Anionic methacrylate copolymer is a fully synthetic acrylic polymer with no animal-derived ingredients. It is vegan and vegetarian.
Sources
- UK FSA Regulated Products Register: E1207
- EFSA ANS Panel: Scientific Opinion on the safety of anionic methacrylate copolymer (2010)
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 816/2013 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Toxicological assessment of Anionic Methacrylate Copolymer: Characterization, bioavailability and genotoxicity (ScienceDirect)
- FAO/WHO JECFA monograph: Anionic Methacrylate Copolymer
- EUR-Lex: Commission Regulation (EU) No 816/2013 full text
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