Build my profileBuild my profile

Thickener or gelling agent

E403 (ammonium alginate): what it is, its sources, vegan or not

E403 is ammonium alginate, a thickener. E403 comes from seaweed. Vegan and vegetarian profiles get Fits you.

By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 4 sourcesHow we check

Fits you

for a vegan profile

E403=seaweed

What is E403?

E403 (ammonium alginate) is a thickener, an additive that thickens a food or gives it the texture of a gel.

What is E403 made from?

E403 comes from seaweed.

  • Seaweed

Is E403 vegan?

Fits you. E403 comes from seaweed. Nothing from an animal.

What the app says to each profile, and the reason it shows.

VeganFits youE403 comes from seaweed. Nothing from an animal.
VegetarianFits youE403 comes from seaweed. Nothing from an animal.

What other names does E403 have on a label?

On a label, E403 can also appear as “INS 403”, “Thickener (403)”, “Thickener (E403)” or “Ammonium alginate”.

Any of these on a pack means E403. The checker reads them all.

E403E 403E-403INS 403Thickener (403)Thickener (E403)Ammonium alginate

What would change the answer for E403?

For E403, only the ingredient list itself: a code the camera cannot read gets Needs one more scan, and the app never guesses a code it cannot see.

Sources: EU, US and Codex additive rules

Where additives are listed and approved. Bravoora reads the source and the diet; it does not rate the hazard.

  1. EU Regulation 1333/2008 on food additives (the E-number list)
  2. EU Regulation 1169/2011, Annex II: the allergen sources a label must name
  3. US FDA: Food Additive Status List
  4. FAO/WHO Codex: General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) online

Names and classes cross-checked with Open Food Facts (Open Database License).

Create a website profile with the things you avoid and the people you check for.

Build my profile

Save and edit your profile on this website. App transfer is not available yet.