E1404 - Oxidised starch

At a glance

• What it is: starch that’s been carefully oxidized to change how it behaves in recipes.
• What it does: thickens and stabilizes; helps sauces pour smoothly; can add gloss and reduce lumping.
• Where it’s found: soups, sauces, salad dressings, confectionery, bakery fillings, and canned foods.
• How it appears on labels: “oxidised starch,” “modified starch,” or “E1404” (EU).
• Dietary notes: plant-based and vegan; starch can come from corn, potato, tapioca, or wheat—check labels if you avoid wheat.
• Regulation: permitted as a food additive in both the US and EU.

Why is Oxidised starch added to food?

Food makers use oxidised starch to get dependable, smooth texture without lumps. It hydrates quickly, gives controlled thickness even at high solids, and can form clear, glossy films that help coatings and confectionery look and feel right. It also helps keep emulsions and suspensions uniform during shelf life.

What foods contain Oxidised starch?

You’ll most often see it in:

• Pourable products: soups, gravies, sauces, and salad dressings
• Bakery and dessert items: fruit fillings, glazes, icings, and puddings
• Confectionery: jellies and gummy-style candies
• Canned and retorted foods: where stable, smooth texture is needed
• Coatings and batters: to help cling and even coverage

On ingredient lists it may appear as “oxidised starch,” “modified starch,” or “E1404” (in the EU). In North America you may see “modified food starch,” sometimes with the specific type named.

What can replace Oxidised starch?

Alternatives depend on the job:

• Other modified starches when similar processing strength is needed: distarch phosphate, acetylated distarch adipate, or acetylated oxidised starch
• Hydrocolloids for strong thickening at low use levels: xanthan gum, guar gum, gellan gum, carrageenan, or pectins
• Traditional staples for home cooking: corn starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, or wheat flour
• For clean-label goals: unmodified starches or blends of modified starches with gums

How is Oxidised starch made?

Manufacturers suspend edible starch (commonly from corn, potato, tapioca, or wheat) in water and treat it with a small, controlled amount of an oxidizing agent, typically sodium hypochlorite. The slurry is then neutralized, washed, and dried to a fine powder that meets food-additive purity rules.¹ In the EU, the specification for E1404 likewise defines it as starch oxidized with permitted agents and sets identity and purity criteria for the final product.²

Is Oxidised starch safe to eat?

Yes. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) re-evaluated oxidised starch (E1404) and related modified starches and found no safety concern at reported uses. EFSA assigned an “ADI not specified,” meaning there is no numerical limit because of its low toxicity at typical dietary levels.³ In the United States, oxidised starch is permitted as a type of “food starch-modified” under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation 21 CFR 172.892, which sets allowed manufacturing methods and requires good manufacturing practice.¹

Note: ADI means acceptable daily intake.

Does Oxidised starch have any benefits?

For eaters, it helps sauces pour smoothly, keeps dressings uniform, and gives fillings a clean, glossy finish. For makers, it offers fast hydration, consistent viscosity, good film-forming, and reliable performance during heating, pumping, and packing.

Who should avoid Oxidised starch?

• People with a wheat allergy or celiac disease should check labels, since starch can be sourced from wheat. In the US, “wheat” must be declared when present as a major allergen.⁴
• Those limiting refined carbohydrates may choose to reduce processed starches in general.

If you have a medical condition or are on a therapeutic diet, ask a healthcare professional.

Myths & facts

• Myth: “Oxidised starch leaves bleach in my food.” Fact: Sodium hypochlorite can be used to oxidize the starch, but food laws require washing and purity limits so residues are not present at unsafe levels.²
• Myth: “Oxidised starch is the same as MSG.” Fact: It isn’t. MSG is monosodium glutamate, an amino acid salt—completely different from starch.
• Myth: “Modified starch means GMO.” Fact: “Modified” refers to changing the starch by processing (chemical or physical), not genetic engineering.
• Myth: “It always contains gluten.” Fact: Source matters. If it comes from wheat, many regions require allergen labeling to flag that.

Oxidised starch in branded foods

You can find E1404 in:

• Shelf-stable soups, jarred or canned sauces, and ready gravies
• Spoonable and pourable dressings, dips, and marinades
• Fruit preparations and glazes for bakery and dairy
• Gelled candies and chewy sweets
• Coated or battered frozen foods

How to spot it on the label:

• EU: “E1404” or “oxidised starch”
• US/Canada: “modified food starch,” sometimes named as “oxidized starch” or by source (e.g., “modified corn starch”)

References

Footnotes

1. 21 CFR 172.892 — Food starch-modified. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (ecfr.gov). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-172/subpart-I/section-172.892 ↩ ↩²

2. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 — Specifications for food additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/231/oj ↩ ↩²

3. Re-evaluation of oxidised starch (E 1404) and modified starches E 1410, E 1412, E 1413, E 1414, E 1420, E 1422, E 1440, E 1442, E 1450, E 1451 as food additives. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA Journal). https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4866 ↩

4. Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) — Overview and labeling requirements. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-allergens-gluten-free-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/food-allergen-labeling-and-consumer-protection-act-2004-falcpa ↩