E-numbers / Other additives / E1209
also: PVA-PEG graft copolymer · Kollicoat IR · Macrogol poly(vinyl alcohol) grafted copolymer
A synthetic polymer used as a coating and binder on hard food supplement capsules and tablets. Not found in everyday food.
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PVA-PEG graft copolymer is a synthetic polymer made by chemically linking polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) chains with polyethylene glycol (PEG) segments.
PVA-PEG graft copolymer is a synthetic polymer made by chemically linking polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) chains with polyethylene glycol (PEG) segments. The resulting material is water-soluble and film-forming. It is not a natural extract or fermentation product.
It forms a thin, smooth coating around compressed tablet or capsule surfaces. The coating controls how quickly the tablet disintegrates, protects the contents from moisture and air, and makes tablets easier to swallow. It acts as both a film-former and a binder that holds tablet ingredients together before coating.
Used exclusively in solid food supplements (capsules and tablets) but not in chewable supplement forms. It is not authorised for use in ordinary foods, drinks, or chewable products. On a label it may appear as 'E1209', 'polyvinyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol graft copolymer', or as part of the coating ingredient list on a supplement bottle.
EFSA evaluated E1209 twice, in 2013 and 2017. The main focus was on trace impurities (ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol) carried over from manufacture, not the polymer itself. At maximum permitted levels in supplements, calculated daily intake of these impurities stays well below the safety reference value set for them. The polymer backbone is not expected to be absorbed from the gut in meaningful amounts.
EFSA's 2013 opinion authorised E1209 for use in solid food supplements and concluded there was no safety concern at the proposed use level.
A 2017 EFSA re-evaluation of amended specification limits found that even at higher permitted impurity levels, estimated daily exposure to ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol remained below the group TDI of 0.5 mg/kg body weight per day.
At the 95th percentile in toddlers (the highest modelled group), estimated daily exposure from supplement use reached 0.221 mg/kg body weight per day, below the impurity safety threshold.
PEG is widely used in pharmaceuticals and has its own extensive safety record. High doses can draw water into the bowel (used therapeutically as a laxative). PVA is also well-characterised and poorly absorbed from the gut. At the tiny quantities present as a tablet coating in a supplement, neither component is expected to exert a pharmacological effect. The graft copolymer is a distinct molecule from its parent polymers, but the safety data package covers the combined structure.
Polyvinyl alcohol is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and has been used in pharmaceutical tablet coatings for decades with no identified systemic concern at coating-level quantities.
E1209 is only found in solid supplement tablets and capsules, so anyone avoiding synthetic polymer coatings in supplements should check the ingredient list for 'E1209' or 'polyvinyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol graft copolymer'. There is no specific population group identified by regulators as needing to avoid it.
E1209 has a narrow, well-defined use: a tablet coating in solid supplements. Two rounds of EFSA review have looked at it, focusing primarily on trace manufacturing impurities rather than the polymer itself, because the polymer is not expected to be absorbed in the gut to any significant degree. The data package is pharmaceutical-grade rather than extensive independent academic literature, which is typical for a coating agent used only in supplements. The science here is limited in scope but consistent, and the additive has no history of regulatory restriction or concern flags.
No. E1209 is on the UK FSA approved-additives list. It is permitted for use as a coating agent in solid food supplements such as tablets and capsules.
It forms the smooth film coating on the outside of the tablet. This coating holds the tablet together, protects the ingredients inside from moisture, and makes the tablet easier to swallow.
E1209 is authorised only in solid food supplements (tablets and capsules, not chewable types). It is not permitted in ordinary foods or drinks. You are only likely to encounter it if you take vitamin, mineral, or herbal supplements in tablet or capsule form.
PVA-PEG graft copolymer is a fully synthetic polymer with no animal-derived ingredients. It is generally considered suitable for vegans, though individuals should check that the rest of the supplement formulation meets their requirements.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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