E-numbers / Thickeners & emulsifiers / E467
also: ethyl hydroxyethylcellulose · EHEC
E467 is not an authorised food additive in the UK or EU. The E467 number has no approved additive assigned to it in UK or EU food law.
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E467 does not appear on the UK FSA approved-additives list or EU Regulation 1333/2008 Annex II.
Why it’s worth knowing. E467 does not appear on the UK FSA approved-additives list or EU Regulation 1333/2008 Annex II. If you see E467 on a UK or EU food label, that food may not comply with food additive law. It is not on the UK list of approved food additives, so you will not normally see this E number on a UK label.
Ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose is a mixed cellulose ether derived from plant cellulose, in which both ethyl and hydroxyethyl groups have been chemically attached to the cellulose backbone. It is a water-soluble polymer, closely related to other authorised cellulose ethers such as methyl cellulose (E461) and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (E464).
Like other cellulose ethers, ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose can thicken and stabilise water-based systems, form gels at elevated temperatures, and act as an emulsifier or film-former. It is used industrially in paints, adhesives, and building products, where it controls viscosity and water retention. In food contexts it would function as a thickener or emulsifier, but it is not authorised for such use in the UK or EU.
Ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose is not authorised for use in food sold in the UK or EU, so it should not appear on food labels here. It is encountered primarily in industrial products such as water-based paints, tile adhesives, and plasters. If a food label in the UK carries E467, that is a regulatory concern.
In 2020 the European Food Safety Authority re-evaluated ten authorised cellulose food additives (E460i through E469), covering all the E-numbers in the cellulose ether block except E467. No EFSA opinion on ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose as a food additive exists, which reflects the fact that it has never been authorised under the EU food additive framework. There is consequently no established Acceptable Daily Intake for food use.
The EFSA ANS Panel 2020 re-evaluation of celluloses covered E460(i), E460(ii), E461, E462, E463, E464, E465, E466, E468 and E469. E467 was not included in the scope, consistent with it having no authorisation under EU food additive law.
Ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose has been studied in the context of occupational and environmental exposure from paints and construction products, not as a dietary substance. Cellulose ethers as a class are generally poorly absorbed from the gut, but no food-specific toxicological review of ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose has been published by any major food regulator. The absence of a formal food safety evaluation means no conclusions about human dietary exposure can be drawn from the current literature.
Ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose is classified as a non-food industrial polymer. It appears in Safety Data Sheets for construction and paint products. No peer-reviewed food-safety study or clinical trial on oral dietary exposure has been identified.
All consumers: this additive should not appear in food sold in the UK or EU. If you find E467 on a UK food label, report the product to the UK Food Standards Agency via their food complaints process. Look for the term 'ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose' on the ingredients list.
E467 occupies a number in the cellulose ether sequence that was never assigned to an authorised food additive in the UK or EU. Some secondary additive databases list it as though it were permitted, but the UK FSA approved-additives list and the EFSA re-evaluation of celluloses both omit it. The compound itself is a real industrial chemical used in paint and construction, where it has a well-established industrial safety profile. The issue here is one of authorisation: there is no approved food use, no established dietary ADI, and no EFSA opinion covering it as a food additive.
E467 is not listed as a permitted food additive in the UK or EU. It is not that it was once authorised and later banned; it was never assigned an approved food use. UK food law only permits additives that appear on the approved list, so an unauthorised additive in food is not lawful.
Several secondary additive databases and apps have incorrectly listed E467 as permitted, possibly by inferring from nearby authorised cellulose ethers. The primary source, the UK FSA approved-additives list, does not include E467. The 2020 EFSA re-evaluation of celluloses (E460 to E469) also omits it, confirming no food authorisation exists.
Because E467 has no food authorisation in the UK or EU, it should not be present in any food product sold here. The compound is used in industrial products such as water-based paints, tile adhesives, and renders.
Ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose is derived from plant cellulose, so it would be considered vegan in principle. However, since it has no authorised food use in the UK or EU, the question of its vegan status in food is not practically relevant.
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