E-numbers / Other additives / E1405

Enzyme-treated starches

also: Enzyme-modified starch · Modified starch

A modified starch broken down by enzymes to act as a thickener and stabiliser in processed foods.

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E1405Plant

Enzyme-treated starches

This is not on the UK list of approved food additives, so you will not normally see this E number on a UK label.

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What enzyme-treated starches is, what it does and where you will see it

Why it’s worth knowing. This is not on the UK list of approved food additives, so you will not normally see this E number on a UK label.

What is it?

Enzyme-treated starch is native starch (from wheat, maize, potato or tapioca) that has been partially broken down using amylolytic enzymes. The enzymes split some of the bonds in the starch chains, producing a material with different flow, gelling and thickening properties from the original grain starch.

What does it do?

It thickens, stabilises and gels food systems. By controlling how far the enzymatic breakdown goes, manufacturers can tune the texture of a product: making it pourable at high temperature but set firm on cooling, or keeping a sauce smooth rather than gelling solid. It also improves freeze-thaw stability in frozen products.

Where you will see it

Ready meals, soups, sauces, salad dressings, dairy desserts, baked goods and some infant foods. On a UK label it may appear as 'modified starch', 'enzyme-treated starch' or simply 'starch' if the manufacturer regards it as a processing aid rather than an additive.

What the science says

Digestibility and metabolic effect

Enzyme-treated starches are digested like ordinary dietary starch: broken down to glucose in the small intestine and absorbed. The enzymatic pre-treatment during manufacturing does not alter how the body processes the final product. No adverse metabolic signals have emerged from the research literature.

The EFSA 2017 re-evaluation of modified starches (EFSA Journal 4911) covered E1404, E1410, E1412, E1413, E1414, E1420, E1422, E1440, E1442, E1450, E1451 and E1452. E1405 was not within the scope of that opinion, reflecting its absence from Annex II of Regulation 1333/2008 as a standalone listed additive. The broader scientific literature on enzymatically modified starches shows normal starch-digestion metabolism with no toxicological signals.

2017Regulatory reviewEFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources (ANS), EFSA Journal 2017;15(10):4911

Starch source and gluten

The base starch may come from wheat, which contains gluten. If a wheat-derived enzyme-treated starch is used, UK food law requires it to be declared on the label (for example, 'modified wheat starch'). Starches derived from maize, potato or tapioca are gluten-free. The label will usually identify the source plant.

UK allergen law (assimilated EU Regulation 1169/2011) requires cereals containing gluten to be emphasised in the ingredients list, including when used as starch. Wheat starch must therefore appear as 'wheat starch' or 'modified wheat starch'.

RegulatoryUK Food Information Regulations 2014, Schedule 2 (assimilated EU Regulation 1169/2011)

Where it stands with the regulators

E1405 is not listed in Annex II of the assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008 as a permitted food additive, and it does not appear on the UK FSA's approved additives list. It is not banned; its absence from the permitted list means it occupies an unusual position: enzymatic modification of starch is frequently treated as a processing step rather than a food-additive function, so the resulting product may be labelled and regulated as an ingredient rather than as an E-numbered additive. The JECFA code INS 1405 and the E1405 designation exist in international nomenclature but do not confer authorisation under UK or retained EU food additive law.

Legal basis: JECFA (WHO/FAO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives) INS 1405; UK FSA approved-additives list (food.gov.uk) and assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008 Annex II do not include E1405 as a standalone listed additive. Confirmed absent from FSA's approved additives register (primary source check, 2026).
Maximum levels: Not applicable - E1405 is not listed as a permitted food additive in Annex II of assimilated Regulation 1333/2008 or on the UK FSA approved-additives list.
Safe-intake limit (ADI): No numerical ADI set
History: E1405 carries a JECFA designation (INS 1405) and an E-number used in international labelling contexts, but it has never been listed in Annex II of EU/UK food additive regulation. The EFSA 2017 re-evaluation of modified starches (EFSA Journal 4911) covered twelve modified starch E-numbers (E1404, E1410-E1414, E1420, E1422, E1440, E1442, E1450-E1452) and found no grounds to restrict it requiring a numerical ADI for that group; E1405 was outside the scope of that opinion. Enzymatic starch modification is typically classified as a processing aid or ingredient rather than an additive function, which explains E1405's absence from the permitted list.

Who should be careful

People managing coeliac disease or a wheat allergy should check whether the starch is wheat-derived. UK law requires the source plant to be declared when it comes from a major allergen (wheat, for example). Look for 'modified wheat starch' or 'wheat starch' on the label.

The honest read

Enzyme-treated starch is one of a large family of modified starches used in food manufacturing for decades. The modification changes texture and stability rather than introducing a new chemical entity: the end product is still starch, digested in the same way as the starch in bread or potatoes. E1405 does not appear on the UK FSA's approved additives list or in Annex II of the assimilated EU food additives regulation, not because it is banned, but because enzymatic starch modification is generally treated as a processing step rather than an additive function. The main practical question for most shoppers is whether the starch comes from wheat, which matters for anyone avoiding gluten.

Common questions about enzyme-treated starches

Is E1405 banned in the UK?

No. E1405 is not banned in the UK or EU. It is not listed in Annex II of the assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008 or on the UK FSA's approved additives register, because enzymatic starch modification is typically treated as a processing step rather than an additive function, meaning the result is regulated as an ingredient rather than an E-numbered additive.

Does enzyme-treated starch contain gluten?

It depends on the source plant. Starch made from wheat may contain gluten. UK food law requires the source to be named on the label when it comes from a gluten-containing cereal, so look for 'modified wheat starch' or 'wheat starch'. Maize, potato and tapioca versions are gluten-free.

What foods contain E1405?

It is most common in ready meals, soups, sauces, salad dressings, dairy desserts, and some baked goods and frozen foods. On UK labels it may appear as 'modified starch', 'enzyme-treated starch', or with the source plant named (for example 'modified maize starch').

Is E1405 vegan?

Yes. Enzyme-treated starches are derived from plant sources (wheat, maize, potato, tapioca) and the enzymes used are commercially produced. The final ingredient is plant-based and suitable for vegans.