Food additive checker
How to check additives on an ingredient label
Identify the additive name or E-number, understand why it is used, and check the regulator's current record instead of relying on a single unexplained score.
A substance may be permitted only for certain foods, quantities, or uses. Different countries can also classify the same additive differently.
1. Find the exact ingredient name
Read the ingredient list rather than the marketing text on the front. Additives can appear under a common name, a chemical name, or an E-number such as E102. Color additives in the United States may appear in forms such as “Yellow 5” or “FD&C Yellow No. 5.”
If the print is hard to read or the label is in another language, Myredient can scan a barcode or photograph the ingredient panel, then use OCR to extract and translate the list for review.
2. Identify what the additive does
Common functions include coloring, preservation, sweetening, emulsifying, thickening, and flavor enhancement. The function helps explain why the ingredient is present, but it does not by itself establish whether a product fits a personal preference.
3. Check an official register
The US FDA's Substances Added to Food inventory covers several categories of food ingredients and explains that it is a partial list. The European Commission's food additives resource links to the EU database and explains that authorized additives are listed with conditions of use.
Myredient brings cited status information from US, EU, Canadian, and Japanese sources into the scan result so you can compare regions without treating one country's rule as universal.
4. Apply your own preferences
Regulatory status is different from a dietary preference. Myredient can compare the identified ingredients with vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, or custom avoid-list preferences stored on your device. Review the supporting detail when a result is uncertain or depends on sourcing.
5. Recheck important decisions
Labels, formulations, and regulatory records change. Confirm the physical package, review the cited source, and contact the manufacturer when an ingredient's origin or processing is material to your choice.
Myredient provides general ingredient and regulatory information, not medical or dietary advice. It does not diagnose allergies, intolerances, or health conditions. For a medical concern, consult a qualified professional and follow the product label.
Check additives, dyes, preservatives, and E-numbers on iPhone, iPad, or Android.
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