E401 — Sodium alginate
E401 (sodium alginate) appears in the ingredient lists of 351 products sold in the United Kingdom. Function: carrier, emulsifier, humectant, sequestrant, stabiliser, thickener.
Nutri-Score
276 rated products
Median values
| Energy | 215 kcal |
| Sugars | 6.2 g |
| Saturates | 4.2 g |
| Salt | 0.60 g |
Categories
Status in the United States (FDA)
Listed in the FDA inventory “Substances Added to Food”, with the regulations 21 CFR 173.310, 184.1724.
Technical effects listed by the FDA: emulsifier or emulsifier salt, firming agent, flavor enhancer, formulation aid, processing aid, stabilizer or thickener, surface-active agent, texturizer
The inventory is a partial list, and a listing is not an FDA approval of every use; the regulations set the permitted uses.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Substances Added to Food (updated 9/8/2026), public domain · CAS 9005-38-3 via Wikidata (CC0)
Products containing it, by country
Products listing this additive in each country edition of Shelfpedia (Open Food Facts data)
Products
351 products, most viewed first · page 1 of 8.
Source: Open Food Facts export of 23 October 2026, ODbL · Shelfpedia calculations (medians, distributions).