Acetylated distarch phosphate
A modified starch thickener made from natural starch by acetylation and cross-linking, used to keep sauces, custards and canned foods smooth and stable.
What is it?
Acetylated distarch phosphate is a chemically modified starch produced by treating natural starch (typically from maize, potato, wheat or tapioca) with acetic anhydride or vinyl acetate (acetylation) and a cross-linking agent such as sodium trimetaphosphate or phosphorus oxychloride (phosphate cross-linking). The two modifications work together: acetylation loosens the starch granule structure so it swells easily on heating, while cross-linking stitches starch chains together to resist breakdown under heat, acid and mechanical shear. The result is a starch that behaves consistently across a wide range of food processing conditions, unlike native starch which can turn thin or lumpy after cooking, freezing or prolonged storage.
What does it do?
E1414 functions as a thickener, stabiliser and texture modifier. When heated in water the granules absorb liquid and swell, forming a smooth, viscous gel. The cross-linked phosphate bonds prevent the gel from thinning at high temperatures or breaking down under the acidic conditions common in many food products. After cooling and freezing, the gel resists syneresis (water separation), which makes the starch useful in frozen ready meals and canned goods. It can replace fat in some formulations, contributing a creamy mouthfeel at lower calorie levels.
Where you will see it
Commonly found in: canned soups and gravies, instant custards and pudding mixes, frozen ready meals and pies, salad dressings, mayonnaise-style sauces, fruit pie fillings, baby food, low-fat dairy desserts, and some confectionery fillings. On UK ingredient labels it appears as acetylated distarch phosphate or E1414.
What the science says
EFSA 2017 re-evaluation
The European Food Safety Authority reviewed the full group of modified starches including E1414 in 2017. EFSA concluded that these modified starches are broken down in the gut in the same way as ordinary food starch and any small residual chemical groups (acetyl or phosphate) are present in amounts too low to raise a concern at the levels used in food. No numerical ADI was considered necessary; EFSA set the ADI as 'not specified', indicating no specific intake limit was identified as needed based on available data.
EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources (ANS) re-evaluated E1414 as part of a group review of 12 modified starches and concluded there was no safety concern at current use levels; ADI set as 'not specified'.
Digestion and absorption
Modified starches such as E1414 are digested by the same amylase enzymes that break down ordinary starch. The acetyl and phosphate groups added during manufacture are present in very small amounts and are hydrolysed or absorbed without meaningful accumulation. The starch itself contributes glucose and calories in the same way as unmodified starch. There is no evidence from animal or human studies of organ accumulation or metabolic disruption at food-grade levels.
Acetylated and phosphate cross-linked starches are hydrolysed by digestive amylases; residual modification groups are too low in quantity to produce toxicological effects at permitted food-additive use levels.
Allergen status
E1414 is most commonly derived from maize or tapioca, though wheat and potato sources are also used. Wheat-derived E1414 is relevant to people with coeliac disease or wheat allergy, though in highly processed starch the protein content is typically very low or absent. UK food labelling law requires manufacturers to declare wheat as an allergen if it is present, including in modified starch form. The label should specify the starch source if it is wheat.
Annex II of EU Regulation 1169/2011 (retained in UK law) requires declaration of wheat as an allergen; if E1414 is derived from wheat, the label must state 'acetylated distarch phosphate (wheat)'.
Where it stands with the regulators
Who should be careful
People with coeliac disease or wheat allergy should check that E1414 is not wheat-derived: the label must say so if it is. Otherwise, no group has a specific medical reason to avoid this additive based on current evidence. Look for 'acetylated distarch phosphate (wheat)' or 'E1414 (wheat)' on the label if wheat is your concern.
The honest read
Modified starches are among the most extensively studied and longest-used food additives. E1414 has been in the food supply for decades and has gone through EFSA's formal re-evaluation process as recently as 2017 with no new concerns identified. The chemistry sounds complex but the end product behaves like starch in the body. The main practical question for shoppers is the source plant, since wheat-derived versions must be declared under UK allergen law and matter to people with coeliac disease or wheat allergy.
Related additives
Common questions
Is E1414 banned in the UK?
No. E1414 is an approved food additive in the UK, listed on the FSA's approved-additives register and permitted under assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008. It has been continuously approved since the early 1990s and was re-evaluated by EFSA in 2017 with no change to its permitted status.
Is E1414 wheat-free or suitable for people with coeliac disease?
Not always. E1414 can be made from maize, potato, tapioca or wheat. When it is made from wheat, UK labelling law requires the label to state 'acetylated distarch phosphate (wheat)' or 'E1414 (wheat)'. If the label gives no source, the manufacturer can confirm the origin. Maize and tapioca versions do not contain gluten.
What foods contain E1414?
E1414 is commonly found in canned soups and gravies, instant custards and pudding mixes, frozen ready meals, pie fillings, salad dressings, low-fat dairy desserts and some baby foods. It appears on the label as 'acetylated distarch phosphate' or 'E1414'.
Is E1414 vegan?
Yes. E1414 is derived entirely from plant starch (maize, potato, tapioca or wheat) and no animal-derived processing aids are involved in its manufacture. It is suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets.
Sources
- EFSA ANS Panel: Re-evaluation of modified starches including E1414 as food additives (EFSA Journal 2017;15(10):4911)
- PubMed Central full text of EFSA 2017 modified starches re-evaluation
- UK FSA: Acetylated distarch phosphate (E1414) regulated product entry
- UK FSA: Approved additives and E numbers
- UK Food Information Regulations 2014 (allergen labelling, assimilated EU Regulation 1169/2011)
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