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Sodium alginate (401)

Synonym(s)

Functional Classes

  • Sequestrant
  • Thickener
  • Stabilizer
  • Emulsifier
  • Foaming agent
  • Gelling agent
  • Glazing agent
  • Bulking agent
  • Carrier
  • Humectant
Click here to search the FAO JECFA database for the specifications of additive(s) with INS No. 401
Click here to search the WHO JECFA database for evaluation of additive(s) with INS No. 401

GSFA Provisions for Sodium alginate

Table Items Number Category MaxLevel Notes
Table Item 14.1.5 Coffee, coffee substitutes, tea, herbal infusions, and other hot cereal and grain beverages, excluding cocoa
160: For use in ready-to-drink products and pre-mixes for ready-to-drink products only.
Table Item 09.2.4.1 Cooked fish and fish products
16: For use in glaze, coatings or decorations for fruit, vegetables, meat or fish only. 325: For general use in surimi products.
Table Item 09.2.4.2 Cooked mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms
16: For use in glaze, coatings or decorations for fruit, vegetables, meat or fish only. 325: For general use in surimi products.
Table Item 06.4.2 Dried pastas and noodles and like products
256: For use in noodles, gluten-free pasta and pasta intended for hypoproteic diets only.
Table Item 01.2.1.2 Fermented milks (plain), heat-treated after fermentation
234: For use as a stabilizer or thickener only.
Table Item 01.2.1.1 Fermented milks (plain), not heat-treated after fermentation
235: For use in reconstituted and recombined products conforming to the Standard for Fermented Milks (CXS 243-2003) only. 234: For use as a stabilizer or thickener only.
Table Item 08.1.2 Fresh meat, poultry, and game, comminuted
281: For use in fresh minced meat which contains other ingredients apart from comminuted meat only.
Table Item 08.1.1 Fresh meat, poultry, and game, whole pieces or cuts
326: For use in fresh meat, poultry and game products only. 16: For use in glaze, coatings or decorations for fruit, vegetables, meat or fish only.
Table Item 06.4.1 Fresh pastas and noodles and like products
211: For use in noodles only.
Table Item 09.2.4.3 Fried fish and fish products, including mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms
41: For use in breading or batter coatings only. 332: For general use as a glazing agent. 325: For general use in surimi products.
Table Item 09.2.2 Frozen battered fish, fish fillets, and fish products, including mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms
210: For non-standardized food and for use as a humectant in products conforming to the Standard for Quick Frozen Fish Sticks (Fish Fingers), Fish Portions and Fish Fillets - Breaded or in Batter (CODEX STAN 166-1989); and for use as a thickener in breading or batter coatings for products conforming to the Standard for Quick Frozen Fish Sticks (Fish Fingers), Fish Portions and Fish Fillets - Breaded or in Batter (CODEX STAN 166-1989). 332: For general use as a glazing agent.
Table Item 10.2.2 Frozen egg products
Table Item 09.2.1 Frozen fish, fish fillets, and fish products, including mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms
Table Item 09.2.3 Frozen minced and creamed fish products, including mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms
Table Item 10.2.1 Liquid egg products
Table Item 11.4 Other sugars and syrups (e.g. xylose, maple syrup, sugar toppings)
258: Excluding maple syrup.
Table Item 01.4.1 Pasteurized cream (plain)
Table Item 01.2.2 Renneted milk (plain)
Table Item 09.2.5 Smoked, dried, fermented, and/or salted fish and fish products, including mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms
332: For general use as a glazing agent. 300: For use in salted squid only.
Table Item 01.4.2 Sterilized and UHT creams, whipping and whipped creams, and reduced fat creams (plain)
Table Item 04.1.1.2 Surface-treated fresh fruit
453: For use as a glaze where such surface treatment is allowed for application to the surface of fresh fruit. 454: For use in waxes, coatings or glazes where these surface treatments are allowed for application to the surface of fresh fruit.
Table Item 04.2.1.2 Surface-treated fresh vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweeds, and nuts and seeds
455: For use as a glaze where such surface treatment is allowed for application to the surface of fresh vegetables, seaweeds or nuts and seeds. 456: For use in waxes, coatings or glazes where these surface treatments are allowed for the application to the surface of fresh vegetables, seaweeds, or nuts and seeds.
Note: Unless otherwise specified, food additive provisions apply to the food category indicated (e.g. Dairy), as well as to all subcategories of that category (e.g. Cheese, Ripened Cheese, etc.).

GSFA Table 3 Provisions

Sodium alginate is a food additive that is included in Table3, and as such may be used in the following foods under the conditions of good manufacturing practices (GMP) as outlined in the Preamble of the Codex GSFA. Although not listed below, Sodium alginate could also be used in heat-treated butter milk of food category 01.1.1 and spices of food category 12.2.1. Note that food categories listed in the Annex to Table3 were excluded accordingly. Sodium alginate is acceptable in foods conforming to the following commodity standards:
CS 70-1981 (for use in packing media only) CS 94-1981 (for use in packing media only) CS 96-1981 CS 97-1981 CS 117-1981 CS 119-1981 (for use in packing media only) CS 249-2006 CS 309R-2011

Sodium alginate is a: Emulsifier, Humectant, Stabilizer, Thickener.

Any Emulsifier listed in Table 3 can be acceptable for use in all products conforming to:

CS 117-1981 CS 309R-2011

Any Humectant listed in Table 3 can be acceptable for use in all products conforming to:

CS 117-1981

Any Stabilizer listed in Table 3 can be acceptable for use in all products conforming to:

CS 117-1981

Any Thickener listed in Table 3 can be acceptable for use in all products conforming to:

CS 117-1981
Table Items Number Food Category
Table Item 14.2.7 Aromatized alcoholic beverages (e.g. beer, wine and spirituous cooler-type beverages, low alcoholic refreshers)
Table Item 07.0 Bakery wares
Table Item 06.6 Batters (e.g. for breading or batters for fish or poultry)
Table Item 14.2.1 Beer and malt beverages
Table Item 01.3.2 Beverage whiteners
Table Item 07.1 Bread and ordinary bakery wares
Table Item 07.1.1 Breads and rolls
Table Item 07.1.4 Bread-type products, including bread stuffing and bread crumbs
Table Item 06.3 Breakfast cereals, including rolled oats
Table Item 07.2.1 Cakes, cookies and pies (e.g. fruit-filled or custard types)
Table Item 04.1.2.7 Candied fruit
Table Item 04.1.2.4 Canned or bottled (pasteurized) fruit
Table Item 04.2.2.4 Canned or bottled (pasteurized) or retort pouch vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), and seaweeds
Table Item 14.1.4.1 Carbonated water-based flavoured drinks
Table Item 06.5 Cereal and starch based desserts (e.g. rice pudding, tapioca pudding)
Table Item 01.6.5 Cheese analogues
Table Item 01.6.2.3 Cheese powder (for reconstitution; e.g. for cheese sauces)
Table Item 05.3 Chewing gum
Table Item 14.2.2 Cider and perry
Table Item 12.6.4 Clear sauces (e.g. fish sauce)
Table Item 01.4.3 Clotted cream (plain)
Table Item 05.1.4 Cocoa and chocolate products
Table Item 05.1.1 Cocoa mixes (powders) and cocoa mass/cake
Table Item 05.1.2 Cocoa mixes (syrups)
Table Item 05.1 Cocoa products and chocolate products including imitations and chocolate substitutes
Table Item 05.1.3 Cocoa-based spreads, including fillings
Table Item 14.1.4.3 Concentrates (liquid or solid) for water-based flavoured drinks
Table Item 01.3.1 Condensed milk (plain)
Table Item 01.3 Condensed milk and analogues (plain)
Table Item 05.0 Confectionery
Table Item 05.2 Confectionery including hard and soft candy, nougats, etc. other than food categories 05.1, 05.3 and 05.4
Table Item 04.1.2.12 Cooked fruit
Table Item 04.2.2.8 Cooked or fried vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), and seaweeds
Table Item 07.1.2 Crackers, excluding sweet crackers
Table Item 01.4.4 Cream analogues
Table Item 08.3.1.2 Cured (including salted) and dried non-heat treated processed comminuted meat, poultry, and game products
Table Item 08.2.1.2 Cured (including salted) and dried non-heat treated processed meat, poultry, and game products in whole pieces or cuts
Table Item 08.3.1.1 Cured (including salted) non-heat treated processed comminuted meat, poultry, and game products
Table Item 08.2.1.1 Cured (including salted) non-heat treated processed meat, poultry, and game products in whole pieces or cuts
Table Item 01.7 Dairy-based desserts (e.g. pudding, fruit or flavoured yoghurt)
Table Item 05.4 Decorations (e.g. for fine bakery wares), toppings (non-fruit) and sweet sauces
Table Item 06.8.4.2 Deep fried semi-dehydrated soybean curd
Table Item 06.8.5 Dehydrated soybean curd (kori tofu)
Table Item 13.5 Dietetic foods (e.g. supplementary foods for dietary use) excluding products of food categories 13.1 - 13.4 and 13.6
Table Item 13.3 Dietetic foods intended for special medical purposes (excluding products of food category 13.1)
Table Item 13.4 Dietetic formulae for slimming purposes and weight reduction
Table Item 14.2.6 Distilled spirituous beverages containing more than 15% alcohol
Table Item 10.2.3 Dried and/or heat coagulated egg products
Table Item 04.1.2.2 Dried fruit
Table Item 04.2.2.2 Dried vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweeds, and nuts and seeds
Table Item 08.4 Edible casings (e.g. sausage casings)
Table Item 03.0 Edible ices, including sherbet and sorbet
Table Item 10.4 Egg-based desserts (e.g. custard)
Table Item 12.6.1 Emulsified sauces and dips (e.g. mayonnaise, salad dressing, onion dip)
Table Item 02.3 Fat emulsions mainly of type oil-in-water, including mixed and/or flavoured products based on fat emulsions
Table Item 02.2.2 Fat spreads, dairy fat spreads and blended spreads
Table Item 02.4 Fat-based desserts excluding dairy-based dessert products of food category 01.7
Table Item 04.1.2.10 Fermented fruit products
Table Item 08.3.1.3 Fermented non-heat treated processed comminuted meat, poultry, and game products
Table Item 08.2.1.3 Fermented non-heat treated processed meat, poultry, and game products in whole pieces or cuts
Table Item 06.8.7 Fermented soybean curd
Table Item 12.9.1 Fermented soybean paste (e.g., miso)
Table Item 12.9.2.1 Fermented soybean sauce
Table Item 06.8.6 Fermented soybeans (e.g. natto, tempe)
Table Item 07.2 Fine bakery wares (sweet, salty, savoury) and mixes
Table Item 09.3.1 Fish and fish products, including mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms, marinated and/or in jelly
Table Item 09.3.2 Fish and fish products, including mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms, pickled and/or in brine
Table Item 01.1.4 Flavoured fluid milk drinks
Table Item 01.6.4.2 Flavoured processed cheese, including containing fruit, vegetables, meat, etc.
Table Item 13.6 Food supplements
Table Item 04.1.2.1 Frozen fruit
Table Item 08.3.3 Frozen processed comminuted meat, poultry, and game products
Table Item 08.2.3 Frozen processed meat, poultry, and game products in whole pieces or cuts
Table Item 04.1.2.11 Fruit fillings for pastries
Table Item 04.1.2.3 Fruit in vinegar, oil, or brine
Table Item 04.1.2.8 Fruit preparations, including pulp, purees, fruit toppings and coconut milk
Table Item 04.1.2.9 Fruit-based desserts, including fruit-flavoured water-based desserts
Table Item 04.1.2.6 Fruit-based spreads (e.g. chutney) excluding products of food category 04.1.2.5
Table Item 09.4 Fully preserved, including canned or fermented fish and fish products, including mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms
Table Item 05.2.1 Hard candy
Table Item 08.3.2 Heat-treated processed comminuted meat, poultry, and game products
Table Item 08.2.2 Heat-treated processed meat, poultry, and game products in whole pieces or cuts
Table Item 05.1.5 Imitation chocolate, chocolate substitute products
Table Item 04.1.2.5 Jams, jellies, marmelades
Table Item 01.8.1 Liquid whey and whey products, excluding whey cheeses
Table Item 14.2.5 Mead
Table Item 01.5.2 Milk and cream powder analogues
Table Item 01.5.1 Milk powder and cream powder (plain)
Table Item 01.5 Milk powder and cream powder and powder analogues (plain)
Table Item 07.1.6 Mixes for bread and ordinary bakery wares
Table Item 07.2.3 Mixes for fine bakery wares (e.g. cakes, pancakes)
Table Item 12.6.3 Mixes for sauces and gravies
Table Item 12.5.2 Mixes for soups and broths
Table Item 12.4 Mustards
Table Item 14.1.4.2 Non-carbonated water-based flavoured drinks, including punches and ades
Table Item 12.6.2 Non-emulsified sauces (e.g. ketchup, cheese sauce, cream sauce, brown gravy)
Table Item 12.9.2.2 Non-fermented soybean sauce
Table Item 08.3.1 Non-heat treated processed comminuted meat, poultry, and game products
Table Item 08.2.1 Non-heat treated processed meat, poultry, and game products in whole pieces or cuts
Table Item 05.2.3 Nougats and marzipans
Table Item 07.2.2 Other fine bakery products (e.g. doughnuts, sweet rolls, scones, and muffins)
Table Item 07.1.3 Other ordinary bakery products (e.g. bagels, pita, English muffins)
Table Item 06.8.8 Other soybean protein products
Table Item 12.9.2.3 Other soybean sauces
Table Item 01.6.4.1 Plain processed cheese
Table Item 06.7 Pre-cooked or processed rice products, including rice cakes (Oriental type only)
Table Item 06.4.3 Pre-cooked pastas and noodles and like products
Table Item 16.0 Prepared foods
Table Item 10.3 Preserved eggs, including alkaline, salted, and canned eggs
Table Item 01.6.4 Processed cheese
Table Item 08.3 Processed comminuted meat, poultry, and game products
Table Item 04.1.2 Processed fruit
Table Item 08.2 Processed meat, poultry, and game products in whole pieces or cuts
Table Item 15.2 Processed nuts, including coated nuts and nut mixtures (with e.g. dried fruit)
Table Item 12.10 Protein products other than from soybeans
Table Item 15.0 Ready-to-eat savouries
Table Item 12.5.1 Ready-to-eat soups and broths, including canned, bottled, and frozen
Table Item 01.6.2.2 Rind of ripened cheese
Table Item 01.6.2 Ripened cheese
Table Item 01.6.2.1 Ripened cheese, includes rind
Table Item 12.7 Salads (e.g. macaroni salad, potato salad) and sandwich spreads excluding cocoa- and nut-based spreads of food categories 04.2.2.5 and 05.1.3
Table Item 09.3.3 Salmon substitutes, caviar, and other fish roe products
Table Item 12.6 Sauces and like products
Table Item 12.2.2 Seasonings and condiments
Table Item 06.8.4 Semi-dehydrated soybean curd
Table Item 06.8.4.3 Semi-dehydrated soybean curd, other than food categories 06.8.4.1 and 06.8.4.2
Table Item 09.3 Semi-preserved fish and fish products, including mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms
Table Item 09.3.4 Semi-preserved fish and fish products, including mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms (e.g. fish paste), excluding products of food categories 09.3.1 - 09.3.3
Table Item 15.3 Snacks - fish based
Table Item 15.1 Snacks - potato, cereal, flour or starch based (from roots and tubers, pulses and legumes)
Table Item 07.1.1.2 Soda breads
Table Item 05.2.2 Soft candy
Table Item 12.5 Soups and broths
Table Item 06.8.3 Soybean curd (tofu)
Table Item 06.8 Soybean products (excluding soybean-based seasonings and condiments of food category 12.9)
Table Item 12.9.2 Soybean sauce
Table Item 06.8.2 Soybean-based beverage film
Table Item 06.8.1 Soybean-based beverages
Table Item 12.9 Soybean-based seasonings and condiments
Table Item 07.1.5 Steamed breads and buns
Table Item 11.6 Table-top sweeteners, including those containing high-intensity sweeteners
Table Item 06.8.4.1 Thick gravy-stewed semi-dehydrated soybean curd
Table Item 01.6.1 Unripened cheese
Table Item 04.2.2.6 Vegetable (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweed, and nut and seed pulps and preparations (e.g. vegetable desserts and sauces, candied vegetables) other than food category 04.2.2.5
Table Item 04.2.2.5 Vegetable (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweed, and nut and seed purees and spreads (e.g., peanut butter)
Table Item 04.2.2.3 Vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), and seaweeds in vinegar, oil, brine, or soybean sauce
Table Item 12.3 Vinegars
Table Item 14.1.4 Water-based flavoured drinks, including "sport," "energy," or "electrolyte" drinks and particulated drinks
Table Item 14.2.4 Wines (other than grape)
Table Item 12.8 Yeast and like products
Table Item 07.1.1.1 Yeast-leavened breads and specialty breads
Note: Unless otherwise specified, food additive provisions apply to the food category indicated (e.g. Dairy), as well as to all subcategories of that category (e.g. Cheese, Ripened Cheese, etc.).