European Food Additive Numbers

[annieo]

Does anyone know how to find a list of the European number-coding system for food additives, and which ones are gluten-free? I'm American but living in the Netherlands for the year, and even though I have learned how to read for gluten ingredients in Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Swedish (!), I've been frustrated by the fact that many additives are listed only by number (e.g. E202, E160b, etc.) I've tried googling but haven't found a list that indicates which, if any, are glutenous. I did find one list of all the numbers and what they are, but I'm hoping to avoid combing through it and looking up scientific names of things--especially since standards are often different over here.

Any ideas out there? Maybe I should post this in the food labeling forum?

Thanks!

[Ursa Major]

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

These should give you all the info (if you can read German, that is). I REALLY don't want to read through all those right now, but will eventually if you need me to.

[aikiducky]

Don't take this as a hard rule, because it's just from my memory, but I think the numbers to watch out for are in the 1400s. But in any case, if an additive is derived from a gluten containing grain, they have to say that on the label.

Pauliina

[annieo]

Thanks to both of you...

Ursula, the lists are very helpful. From what I could tell from them, none of them contain gluten. At least, it doesn't say gluten, or wheat, anywhere. (But that is pretty much the extent of my competence in German.)

That would go along with the idea that anything containing gluten has to say so explicitly, I guess, but I'm not sure I quite believe that all those additives are gluten-free. So far, I've been going on that assumption, and it's been okay, I think, but I don't eat a lot of processed foods anyway so maybe I've just been lucky.

Anyway, thanks for your help!

Anne

[aikiducky]

I found a list for you in English...

Open Original Shared Link

I did remember correctly, in the 1400s there are some things that are starches, but those do have to be listed in the ingredients if they're from a gluten containing grain. I haven't seen those numbers on a lot of products anyway.

Pauliina

[annieo]

Wow, thanks. That's incredibly helpful. That's exactly what I was searching for, but evidently my googling skills weren't up to the task. Kudos!

Anne