YenzoWhat is E468 (croscarmellose sodium)?
E468 stands for croscarmellose sodium (cross-linked sodium carboxymethyl cellulose). Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT lists these functions: stabilizer, thickener.
E468Croscarmellose sodium
E468 stands for croscarmellose sodium (cross-linked sodium carboxymethyl cellulose). Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT lists these functions: stabilizer, thickener. Croscarmellose sodium is also used as a disintegrant excipient in pharmaceutical formulations; this page is about its role as a food stabilizer and thickener (E468). (source: Development of Sustained Release System Based on High Water-Absorbable Gel Formation Using Croscarmellose Sodium, Alkaline Excipients and HPMC (Pharm Res 2023))
Did you know? EFSA's summary of Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 gives E 468 its own maximum levels: 50,000 mg/kg for table-top sweeteners in powder and tablet form, and 30,000 mg/kg for food supplements in solid and tablet form (excluding chewable forms).
- Code
- E468 · INS 468
- Group
- Stabilizer, Thickener
- ADI
- ADI “not specified” (EFSA 2018) 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, 2018
How E468 appears on labels
IngredientsIllustrative example
Wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, stabilizer (468), dried onion and garlic, pepper, natural colour (160a).
stabilizer (468)stabilizer 468E468INS 468On Vietnamese labels: Cross-linked natri carboxymethyl cellulose
Croscarmellose sodium in food
Table-top sweeteners (powder and tablets)
Food supplements in solid form and tablets
Questions about croscarmellose sodium
Is croscarmellose sodium harmful?
In 2018 EFSA concluded that there was no need for a numerical ADI for the celluloses (E 460(i), E 460(ii), E 461–466, E 468 and E 469) and no safety concern at the reported uses and use levels.
Is E468 permitted in Vietnam?
Yes. INS 468 (croscarmellose sodium (cross-linked sodium carboxymethyl cellulose)) is listed in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, the list of additives permitted in food.
Can children and pregnant women have E468?
In 2018, re-evaluating the celluloses (E 460–469), EFSA stated that a risk assessment for the general population does not apply to infants under 12 weeks of age; that age group is to be assessed separately. The source says nothing specific about older children or pregnant women. If you have a particular health condition, ask a doctor.
Other stabilizers
E465Ethyl methyl cellulosevery lowE466Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)very lowE469Enzymatically hydrolysed carboxymethyl cellulosevery lowE470Salts of fatty acids (type not printed)very lowE470aSodium, potassium and calcium salts of fatty acidsvery lowE471Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acidsvery low
See all stabilizers →Updated 22 October 2026