YenzoWhat is E406 (agar)?
Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT lists agar (INS 406) with the functions thickener, bulking agent, carrier, emulsifier, gelling agent, glazing agent, humectant and stabilizer.
E406Agar
E406 is agar, called thạch aga in Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT. It is listed with many functions, among them gelling agent, thickener and stabilizer.
Did you know? Agar is extracted from certain strains of marine algae of the families Gelidiaceae and Gracilariaceae and related red algae of the class Rhodophyceae.
- Code
- E406 · INS 406
- Group
- Gelling agent, Thickener, Stabilizer
- ADI
- ADI “not specified” (EFSA 2016) This means no numerical ADI is needed: by JECFA’s definition of the term, at the levels needed in food the substance does not represent a hazard to health. Vietnam’s Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT calls this an ADI “không xác định” (“not specified”, Article 3(6)).
In Vietnam✓ PermittedOn the list of permitted additives — Circular 24/2019, Appendix 1
Risk level on the Yenzo Scalevery low?Based on EFSA's scientific assessment, 2016
How E406 appears on labels
IngredientsIllustrative example
Wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, gelling agent (406), dried onion and garlic, pepper, natural colour (160a).
gelling agent (406)gelling agent 406E406INS 406agarOn Vietnamese labels: Thạch Aga
Questions about agar
Is agar harmful?
In 2016, re-evaluating agar (E 406), EFSA concluded that there is no need for a numerical acceptable daily intake (ADI) and no safety concern for the general population at the refined exposure assessment for the reported uses. EFSA noted that its assessment is limited to the use data for 7 of the 70 food categories in which agar is authorised.
Is agar (thạch aga) permitted in Vietnam?
Yes. Agar (INS 406) is listed in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, the list of additives permitted in food.