UK Food Additive Index.

Name: UK Food Additive Index
Creator: NutraSafe
Published: 2026-09-26
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Citric acid (E330) is the most common additive in UK supermarket food. It is declared by 8,649 of the 43,325 food products we counted, one in five.

This index ranks 166 additives by how many of those foods declare them, from the ingredient lists UK supermarkets publish. Every figure links to the additive's own page, and the whole table is a free download.

Counted 26 September 2026 · Aaron Keen, founder, NutraSafe

Additives in UK food, in three numbers

67%of UK supermarket foods declare at least one additive with an E-number: 28,844 of 43,325.

14%of those print an E-number anywhere in the ingredient list. The rest name every additive in words instead.

38%of bread and bakery products declare E471, the emulsifier mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids: 1,401 of 3,682.

The most common additives in UK food

Ranked by how many of the 43,325 foods declare each one, by its E-number or by its name. The aisle is where it turns up in the most products.

Rank	Additive	Products	Share of foods	Most often in
1	Citric acid E330	8,649	20%	Soft drinks and juices
2	Calcium carbonate E17090% of these only in the wheat flour, where UK law requires it	6,148	14%	Bread and bakery
3	Lecithin E322	4,779	11%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
4	Vitamin C E300	4,013	9.3%	Bread and bakery
5	Mono- and diglycerides E471	3,902	9%	Bread and bakery
6	Paprika extract E160c	3,563	8.2%	Ready meals and pizza
7	Diphosphates E450	3,562	8.2%	Bread and bakery
8	Potassium sorbate E202	3,430	7.9%	Soft drinks and juices
9	Xanthan gum E415	2,464	5.7%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
10	Sodium citrates E331	2,360	5.4%	Soft drinks and juices
11	Sodium nitrite E250	2,225	5.1%	Cooked and cured meats
12	Beta-carotene E160a	2,211	5.1%	Bread and bakery
13	Glycerol E422	2,045	4.7%	Bread and bakery
14	Guar gum E412	1,863	4.3%	Ice cream and frozen desserts
15	Sodium ascorbate E301	1,751	4%	Cooked and cured meats
16	Pectin E440	1,624	3.7%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
17	Sucralose E955	1,493	3.4%	Soft drinks and juices
18	Curcumin E100	1,364	3.1%	Chocolate and sweets
19	Malic acid E296	1,277	2.9%	Soft drinks and juices
20	Triphosphates E451	1,193	2.8%	Fresh meat, poultry and fish
21	Ammonium carbonates E503	1,185	2.7%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
22	Acesulfame K E950	1,182	2.7%	Soft drinks and juices
23	Plain caramel E150a	1,137	2.6%	Ready meals and pizza
24	Sodium metabisulphite E223	1,106	2.6%	Fresh meat, poultry and fish
25	Potassium carbonates E501	1,002	2.3%	Bread and bakery

Show all 166 additives

Rank	Additive	Products	Share of foods	Most often in
26	Calcium phosphates E341	964	2.2%	Bread and bakery
27	Acetic acid E260	936	2.2%	Sauces, dressings and condiments
28	Gum arabic E414	925	2.1%	Chocolate and sweets
29	DATEM E472e	922	2.1%	Bread and bakery
30	Anthocyanins E163	879	2%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
31	Potassium chloride E508	867	2%	Crisps and savoury snacks
32	Rosemary extract E392	777	1.8%	Crisps and savoury snacks
33	Locust bean gum E410	774	1.8%	Ice cream and frozen desserts
34	MSG E621	739	1.7%	Crisps and savoury snacks
35	Polyglycerol esters E475	733	1.7%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
36	Riboflavin E101	728	1.7%	Breakfast cereals
37	Calcium propionate E282	720	1.7%	Bread and bakery
38	Annatto E160b	635	1.5%	Crisps and savoury snacks
39	Beetroot Red E162	630	1.5%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
40	Potassium nitrate E252	616	1.4%	Cooked and cured meats
41	Sodium stearoyl lactylate E481	602	1.4%	Bread and bakery
42	Aspartame E951	562	1.3%	Soft drinks and juices
43	Tocopherols E306	557	1.3%	Crisps and savoury snacks
44	Cellulose gum E466	514	1.2%	Bread and bakery
45	Sulphur dioxide E220	507	1.2%	Alcoholic drinks
46	PGPR E476	481	1.1%	Chocolate and sweets
47	Sodium alginate E401	465	1.1%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
48	Calcium chloride E509	448	1%	Sauces, dressings and condiments
49	Carnauba wax E903	431	1.0%	Chocolate and sweets
50	Polyphosphates E452	430	1.0%	Ready meals and pizza
51	Silicon dioxide E551	399	0.9%	Sauces, dressings and condiments
52	Sulphite ammonia caramel E150d	396	0.9%	Soft drinks and juices
53	Sodium benzoate E211	384	0.9%	Soft drinks and juices
54	Stevia E960	376	0.9%	Soft drinks and juices
55	Sorbitol E420	371	0.9%	Chocolate and sweets
56	Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose E464	339	0.8%	Bread and bakery
57	Sodium phosphates E339	333	0.8%	Bread and bakery
58	Gellan gum E418	331	0.8%	Yoghurt, milk and dairy
59	Lutein E161b	321	0.7%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
60	Carbon dioxide E290	305	0.7%	Alcoholic drinks
61	L-Cysteine E920	300	0.7%	Bread and bakery
62	Sodium nitrate E251	285	0.7%	Fresh meat, poultry and fish
63	Ammonium phosphatides E442	284	0.7%	Chocolate and sweets
64	Potassium phosphates E340	277	0.6%	Yoghurt, milk and dairy
65	Potassium metabisulphite E224	260	0.6%	Alcoholic drinks
66	Phosphoric acid E338	258	0.6%	Soft drinks and juices
67	Agar E406	245	0.6%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
68	Cochineal E120	237	0.5%	Fresh meat, poultry and fish
69	Sodium hydroxide E524	235	0.5%	Bread and bakery
70	Calcium lactate E327	234	0.5%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
71	Sorbic acid E200	231	0.5%	Bread and bakery
72	Sodium acetate E262	225	0.5%	Fresh meat, poultry and fish
73	Lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides E472b	220	0.5%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
74	Disodium guanylate E627	214	0.5%	Crisps and savoury snacks
75	Calcium sulphate E516	210	0.5%	Bread and bakery
76	Beeswax E901	210	0.5%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
77	Tara gum E417	194	0.4%	Ice cream and frozen desserts
78	Disodium inosinate E631	193	0.4%	Crisps and savoury snacks
79	Alpha-tocopherol E307	184	0.4%	Yoghurt, milk and dairy
80	Nitrogen E941	174	0.4%	Alcoholic drinks
81	Saccharin E954	174	0.4%	Soft drinks and juices
82	Polysorbate 60 E435	172	0.4%	Bread and bakery
83	Vegetable carbon E153	169	0.4%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
84	Brilliant Blue E133	168	0.4%	Chocolate and sweets
85	Calcium disodium EDTA E385	153	0.4%	Yoghurt, milk and dairy
86	Glycerol esters of wood rosins E445	146	0.3%	Soft drinks and juices
87	Erythritol E968	139	0.3%	Soft drinks and juices
88	Sucrose esters E473	138	0.3%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
89	Potassium citrates E332	136	0.3%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
90	Gum tragacanth E413	132	0.3%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
91	Polydextrose E1200	131	0.3%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
92	Calcium citrates E333	128	0.3%	Yoghurt, milk and dairy
93	Lactase E1106	122	0.3%	Yoghurt, milk and dairy
94	Dimethyl dicarbonate E242	120	0.3%	Soft drinks and juices
95	Maltitol E965	116	0.3%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
96	Sodium sulphite E221	112	0.3%	Fresh meat, poultry and fish
97	Sodium lactate E325	111	0.3%	Cooked and cured meats
98	Shellac E904	110	0.3%	Bread and bakery
99	Glucono delta-lactone E575	107	0.2%	Bread and bakery
100	Sodium erythorbate E316	103	0.2%	Cooked and cured meats
101	Calcium alginate E404	100	0.2%	Fresh meat, poultry and fish
102	Potassium iodate E917	94	0.2%	Cooked and cured meats
103	Potassium lactate E326	92	0.2%	Cooked and cured meats
104	Potassium hydroxide E525	91	0.2%	Bread and bakery
105	Allura Red E129	88	0.2%	Soft drinks and juices
106	Disodium 5'-ribonucleotides E635	86	0.2%	Crisps and savoury snacks
107	Magnesium carbonate E504	85	0.2%	Soft drinks and juices
108	BHA E320	84	0.2%	Chocolate and sweets
109	Xylitol E967	83	0.2%	Chocolate and sweets
110	Copper chlorophyll complexes E141	78	0.2%	Chocolate and sweets
111	Magnesium chloride E511	76	0.2%	Fresh meat, poultry and fish
112	Sunset Yellow E110	75	0.2%	Soft drinks and juices
113	Lysozyme E1105	73	0.2%	Ready meals and pizza
114	Ascorbyl palmitate E304	70	0.2%	Breakfast cereals
115	Potassium acetate E261	69	0.2%	Cooked and cured meats
116	Citric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides E472c	69	0.2%	Bread and bakery
117	Mannitol E421	66	0.2%	Chocolate and sweets
118	Isomalt E953	64	0.1%	Chocolate and sweets
119	Sorbitan tristearate E492	60	0.1%	Bread and bakery
120	Cyclamate E952	56	0.1%	Soft drinks and juices
121	Tartrazine E102	55	0.1%	Soft drinks and juices
122	Ponceau 4R E124	52	0.1%	Soft drinks and juices
123	Potassium polyaspartate E456	51	0.1%	Alcoholic drinks
124	Sodium gluconate E576	50	0.1%	Soft drinks and juices
125	Sodium hydrogen sulphite E222	49	0.1%	Sauces, dressings and condiments
126	Lycopene E160d	45	0.1%	Fresh meat, poultry and fish
127	Potassium hydrogen sulphite E228	43	under 0.1%	Alcoholic drinks
128	Calcium acetate E263	42	under 0.1%	Fresh meat, poultry and fish
129	Calcium hydroxide E526	40	under 0.1%	Bread and bakery
130	Ferrous gluconate E579	39	under 0.1%	Sauces, dressings and condiments
131	Invertase E1103	36	under 0.1%	Chocolate and sweets
132	Ferric ammonium citrate E381	36	under 0.1%	Soft drinks and juices
133	Saffron E164	35	under 0.1%	Ready meals and pizza
134	Titanium dioxide E171	34	under 0.1%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
135	Fumaric acid E297	34	under 0.1%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
136	TBHQ E319	32	under 0.1%	Cupboard staples
137	Propylene glycol alginate E405	32	under 0.1%	Sauces, dressings and condiments
138	BHT E321	31	under 0.1%	Chocolate and sweets
139	Sucrose acetate isobutyrate E444	31	under 0.1%	Soft drinks and juices
140	Benzoic acid E210	30	under 0.1%	Soft drinks and juices
141	Konjac E425	29	under 0.1%	Fresh meat, poultry and fish
142	Polysorbate 80 E433	29	under 0.1%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
143	Cassia gum E427	28	under 0.1%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
144	Dimethyl polysiloxane E900	28	under 0.1%	Bread and bakery
145	Natamycin E235	27	under 0.1%	Cooked and cured meats
146	Metatartaric acid E353	27	under 0.1%	Alcoholic drinks
147	Carmoisine E122	25	under 0.1%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
148	Erythrosine E127	24	under 0.1%	Bread and bakery
149	Acetic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides E472a	23	under 0.1%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
150	Magnesium oxide E530	23	under 0.1%	Chocolate and sweets
151	Esters of colophonium E915	22	under 0.1%	Soft drinks and juices
152	Processed eucheuma seaweed E407a	20	under 0.1%	Cooked and cured meats
153	Sodium propionate E281	19	under 0.1%	Bread and bakery
154	Magnesium phosphates E343	18	under 0.1%	Yoghurt, milk and dairy
155	Calcium oxide E529	18	under 0.1%	Ready meals and pizza
156	Calcium silicate E552	18	under 0.1%	Sauces, dressings and condiments
157	Beta-apo-8'-carotenal E160e	17	under 0.1%	Chocolate and sweets
158	Nitrous oxide E942	16	under 0.1%	Yoghurt, milk and dairy
159	Calcium stearoyl lactylate E482	14	under 0.1%	Bread and bakery
160	Sodium potassium tartrate E337	13	under 0.1%	Chocolate and sweets
161	Potassium nitrite E249	12	under 0.1%	Ready meals and pizza
162	Propyl gallate E310	12	under 0.1%	Crisps and savoury snacks
163	Caustic sulphite caramel E150b	11	under 0.1%	Alcoholic drinks
164	Indigo carmine E132	10	under 0.1%	Chocolate and sweets
165	Adipic acid E355	10	under 0.1%	Cakes, biscuits and desserts
166	L-leucine E641	10	under 0.1%	Spreads, jams and sweeteners

Download the full table: uk-food-additive-index-2026-09.csv

How we counted

The foods. 43,325 food and drink products sold by UK supermarkets that publish a full ingredient list, taken from our product database on 26 September 2026. Make-up, toiletries, supplements and pet food are left out.
What counts. A food counts once for an additive if its ingredient list declares it, by E-number or by any name the label may use (so “citric acid” and “E330” both count as E330). The reading is done by the same additive detector our app uses.
A check on every number. For each additive we also searched every label for every name it goes by, and compared. We publish a number only when the detector finds at least 90% of the labels that name the additive, so no figure here is a hidden under-count.
Families. Where an additive comes in lettered forms (E160a, E160c), the index lists each form. The family's own page counts every form together.
Nutrients. Some E-numbers are also vitamins or minerals. Calcium carbonate (E170) is added to UK wheat flour by law, and riboflavin (E101) is vitamin B2. They count here when the label declares them, and their pages say how many foods add them only as a nutrient.
What this is not. It counts products on sale, not how much of each food people eat, and not how much of the additive a food contains. A product sold in several sizes can appear more than once.

Additives we do not give a number for

These are on UK labels, but our detector does not yet read every name they go by, or reads them in a way that would mislead, so a count would be too low. We would rather print nothing than a wrong number.

Using these figures

The table and CSV are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Please credit NutraSafe and link to this page.

NutraSafe, UK Food Additive Index, September 2026. 43,325 UK supermarket food products. https://nutrasafe.co.uk/uk-food-additive-index

Journalists and researchers who want a figure for a specific additive or aisle can email contact@nutrasafe.co.uk. Each additive's page has its own count and aisle breakdown: start from the E-number directory, or read what E-numbers are and which are banned in the UK.

Common questions

What is the most common food additive in the UK?

Citric acid (E330). It is declared by 8,649 of the 43,325 UK supermarket foods we counted, 20% of them. Calcium carbonate (E170) and Lecithin (E322) come next.

How many UK foods contain additives?

28,844 of the 43,325 foods we counted (67%) declare at least one additive with an E-number. That counts products on sale, not how much of each is eaten.

Why do so few labels show E-numbers?

UK law lets a label name the additive instead of printing its code, and most do. Of the 28,844 foods here that declare an additive, 3,998 (14%) print at least one E-number.

Check the additives in your own shopping

Scan a UK barcode and NutraSafe reads the ingredient list the same way this index was counted, then says in plain English what each additive is and what the published evidence says.

Get NutraSafe on the App Store →

Free to download. Naming each additive on a pack and what it does is a Pro feature.

NutraSafe Pro · £3.99/month · iOS

Last reviewed: 26 September 2026 · Last updated: 26 September 2026 · Source: NutraSafe's UK supermarket product database.