Thickener or gelling agent
E406 (agar): what it is, its sources, vegan or not
E406 is agar, a thickener. E406 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
E406=seaweed
What is E406?
E406 (agar) is a thickener, an additive that thickens a food or gives it the texture of a gel.
What is E406 made from?
E406 comes from seaweed. A setting agent from seaweed, used instead of gelatin.
- Seaweed
Is E406 vegan?
Fits you. E406 comes from seaweed. Nothing from an animal.
What the app says to each profile, and the reason it shows.
What other names does E406 have on a label?
On a label, E406 can also appear as “INS 406”, “Thickener (406)”, “Thickener (E406)”, “Agar” or “Agar-agar”.
Any of these on a pack means E406. The checker reads them all.
What would change the answer for E406?
For E406, 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.
- EU Regulation 1333/2008 on food additives (the E-number list)
- EU Regulation 1169/2011, Annex II: the allergen sources a label must name
- US FDA: Food Additive Status List
- FAO/WHO Codex: General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) online
Names and classes cross-checked with Open Food Facts (Open Database License).
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