Glycerol esters of wood rosins
A plant-derived resin ester from pine wood, used to stop citrus oils separating in cloudy flavoured drinks and soft drinks.
EFSA judged the 1994 acceptable daily intake of 12.5 mg/kg body weight temporary because reproductive and developmental toxicity data were missing.
What is it?
Glycerol esters of wood rosins (GEWR) are produced by reacting glycerol with rosin, a natural resin extracted from the wood of certain pine trees, principally Pinus palustris (longleaf pine) and Pinus elliottii (slash pine). The resulting esters are denser than water, which is what makes them useful in beverages. The raw material, rosin, is also known as colophony and is used in a wide range of industrial applications including printing inks and adhesives, but food-grade E445 uses a refined and purified form.
What does it do?
E445 acts as a weighting agent and emulsion stabiliser in beverages. Citrus-flavoured drinks are made by dispersing citrus oil into water, but because oil is less dense than water it tends to float and separate over time, making the drink look uneven. GEWR has a density close to that of citrus oils and dissolves into the oil droplets, increasing their density so they remain suspended throughout the drink. This maintains the uniform cloudy appearance consumers expect in products like lemonade and cola.
Where you will see it
Found mainly in cloudy soft drinks, flavoured still and sparkling waters, cloudy sports drinks, and some spirit-based premix drinks. It is particularly common in lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit-flavoured carbonated drinks where a consistently cloudy look is part of the product identity. On a label it appears as 'E445' or 'glycerol ester of wood rosin'.
What the science says
EFSA re-evaluation and ADI
EFSA conducted a full re-evaluation of E445 in 2018 and a follow-up in 2023 after receiving new reproductive and developmental toxicity data from industry. Based on a no-observed-adverse-effect level from rat reproduction studies and an uncertainty factor of 100, EFSA set an ADI of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight per day. The Panel concluded there was no safety concern at the permitted maximum use levels for the approved pine species. EFSA could not extend this conclusion to GEWR derived from Pinus halepensis or Pinus brutia because the composition of those sources has not been fully characterised.
EFSA established an ADI of 10 mg/kg body weight per day for E445 derived from Pinus palustris and Pinus elliottii, replacing the temporary ADI of 12.5 mg/kg bw/day set by the Scientific Committee on Food in 1994.
New reproduction and developmental toxicity studies submitted by industry operators showed no adverse effects, filling the critical data gap identified in the 2018 re-evaluation. EFSA concluded no safety concern at maximum permitted levels.
EFSA could not establish safety for GEWR derived from Pinus halepensis and Pinus brutia because the major constituents of those fractions were not fully identified, preventing read-across from the studied pine species.
Exposure from beverages
The maximum permitted level in cloudy drinks is 100 mg per litre in the EU and UK. EFSA's exposure calculations, based on brand-loyal consumption of flavoured drinks, found that estimated intakes remained well below the ADI across all population groups assessed. The additive is used exclusively in the drink's oil phase and does not accumulate in the body in the way that some fat-soluble substances do.
Maximum permitted level for E445 in flavoured drinks and spirit-based cloudy drinks is 100 mg/L under EU Regulation 1333/2008 Annex II (food categories FC 14.1.4 and FC 14.2.6), mirrored in UK retained law.
Colophony (rosin) contact allergy
Rosin, the raw material for E445, is a well-documented contact allergen in its industrial forms, causing skin reactions in people who handle it or use products such as adhesives, cosmetics, and instrument rosin. Food-grade GEWR is a chemically modified ester and its allergenicity profile differs from raw colophony. There are no well-documented reports of food allergic reactions to E445 in published literature, but people with known severe colophony contact allergy may wish to be aware of the common source material.
Rosin (colophony) is a recognised contact allergen listed in standard patch test batteries, though this relates to skin contact rather than oral ingestion of the refined glycerol ester form used in food.
Where it stands with the regulators
Who should be careful
People with a known severe allergy to colophony (rosin) in its industrial form, such as those who react to adhesives or violin rosin, may want to check with a doctor before consuming products containing E445, given the shared plant source. Look for 'E445' or 'glycerol ester of wood rosin' on ingredient lists. For the general population there is no documented reason to avoid this additive.
The honest read
E445 has been in use in soft drinks for decades and has been through two formal EFSA re-evaluations, the most recent in 2023. The science that existed prompted a data request for reproductive toxicity information rather than a restriction, and when that information was supplied it was satisfactory. The residual note in the 2023 opinion is about pine species characterisation, a technical manufacturing specification question rather than a concern about the additive as consumed. The colophony-allergy link is real in dermatology but has not translated into documented food allergic reactions in the published record, possibly because the chemical modification involved in making the glycerol ester changes the allergenic proteins. This is a relatively narrow-use, well-characterised additive whose role in keeping your cloudy lemonade looking uniform is exactly what it was approved for.
Related additives
Common questions
Is E445 banned in the UK?
No. E445 is on the UK FSA approved additives list and is permitted in specific food categories, primarily cloudy flavoured drinks, at a maximum of 100 mg per litre.
Does E445 come from trees, and is that a concern?
Yes, it is derived from rosin extracted from certain pine trees. The raw material, colophony, is a known skin contact allergen in industrial use. The food-grade form is a chemically modified ester, and there are no well-documented allergic reactions to E445 as consumed in food or drink in the published literature.
What foods contain E445?
E445 is found mainly in cloudy soft drinks, including lemon and lime-flavoured carbonated drinks, some cloudy fruit-flavoured waters, and certain premix spirit drinks. It is not a widely used additive outside beverages. Look for 'E445' or 'glycerol ester of wood rosin' on the ingredients list.
Is E445 vegan?
Yes. E445 is derived from pine tree resin and glycerol, with no animal-derived ingredients in its production. It is considered vegan and vegetarian.
Sources
- Follow-up of the re-evaluation of glycerol esters of wood rosins (E 445) as a food additive, EFSA Journal 2023
- Re-evaluation of glycerol esters of wood rosin (E 445) as a food additive, EFSA Journal 2018
- Re-evaluation of glycerol esters of wood rosin (E 445) as a food additive, PMC full text (food categories listed in Table 1)
- UK FSA Approved Additives and E Numbers
- EU Regulation 1333/2008 on food additives, Annex II
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