E-numbers / Thickeners & emulsifiers / E469
also: enzymatically hydrolysed carboxy methyl cellulose · hydrolysed cellulose gum
A cellulose-derived thickener made by enzyme treatment of CMC, used to give a lighter texture than standard cellulose gum.
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Enzymically hydrolysed carboxymethyl cellulose is the lower-molecular-weight form of E466 (cellulose gum).
Enzymically hydrolysed carboxymethyl cellulose is the lower-molecular-weight form of E466 (cellulose gum). Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is made by reacting plant cellulose with a chemical group that makes it water-soluble. E469 is produced by then treating that material with cellulase enzymes, which break the long polymer chains into shorter fragments. The result is a water-soluble powder that thickens and stabilises liquids but at a lower viscosity than E466.
The shorter polymer chains dissolve readily in water and form a network that thickens, stabilises and emulsifies food systems. Because the chains are shorter than those in E466, E469 produces a thinner, more flowable consistency at the same dose. It also helps suspend particles, prevent oil-water separation, and control the texture of low-fat or reduced-calorie products where fat would normally provide body.
Most commonly found in low-fat and diet food products, certain beverages, encapsulated food supplements, and speciality processed foods where a light body rather than a firm gel is needed. Less common on UK supermarket shelves than E466. On a label it appears as 'enzymically hydrolysed carboxymethyl cellulose', 'enzymically hydrolysed cellulose gum', or 'E469'.
Like E466, the hydrolysed fragments of E469 are largely indigestible. Human digestive enzymes do not break down cellulose derivatives efficiently, so most of the material passes through the gut without being absorbed. Regulatory reviews by EFSA found no evidence that the shorter chain lengths after enzymic hydrolysis change this picture in a meaningful way. Because systemic exposure is low, a numerical acceptable daily intake was judged unnecessary.
EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources (ANS) concluded that no numerical ADI was needed for E469 at reported use levels, consistent with its treatment as a non-absorbed dietary fibre-like substance.
At very high dietary doses, non-absorbed polysaccharides and their fragments can have laxative or osmotic effects in some individuals, a property shared with dietary fibre generally. This is a dose-dependent physical effect rather than a toxicological concern, and food-use levels are far below those thresholds. There is no evidence from human or animal studies of toxicity at realistic food exposure.
High-dose non-absorbed polysaccharides can exert osmotic laxative effects in the gut; this is common to dietary fibre materials and is not specific to E469 at food-use levels.
No specific group needs to avoid E469. People with diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome who are sensitive to high-fibre or osmotically active ingredients may want to monitor intake of foods where it is used in large quantities, though at typical food-use levels this is unlikely to be a factor. Look for 'E469' or 'enzymically hydrolysed cellulose gum' on the label.
E469 is the enzymatically trimmed version of cellulose gum, a material derived from plant cell walls that has been used in food for decades. The enzyme treatment reduces the chain length and changes texture properties but does not produce novel chemical entities of concern. EFSA reviewed it as part of its systematic programme of re-evaluating approved additives and found no toxicological signal warranting a numerical intake limit. There is no published epidemiological, animal or human study linking E469 specifically to any adverse health outcome. It sits in the same category as other cellulose-derived food ingredients: physically inert in the gut, unlikely to be absorbed, and with a well-established pattern of use in processed foods.
No. E469 is an approved food additive in the UK under assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008 and remains on the FSA's approved-additives list.
Yes, but closely related. E466 is standard carboxymethyl cellulose; E469 is the same material after enzyme treatment to break the polymer chains into shorter fragments. E469 produces a thinner, more flowable texture than E466 at the same concentration.
E469 is less common than E466 and tends to appear in speciality low-fat or diet products, certain beverages, encapsulated food supplements, and processed foods where a lighter body than standard cellulose gum provides is needed. It is not a common ingredient in everyday branded foods in the UK.
Yes. E469 is derived from plant cellulose and does not involve any animal-derived material in its production.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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