E1451 - Acetylated oxidised starch

At a glance

This additive is a plant-based, modified starch that works as a thickener, stabiliser, and emulsifier.
It improves texture, keeps mixtures from separating, and helps foods stay stable during heating, cooling, and transport.
Safety: In 2017, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) re‑evaluated modified starches (E 1404–E 1451) and found no safety concern at reported uses and exposures.¹

Why is Acetylated oxidised starch added to food?

Food makers use E1451 to get reliable texture and stability when native starch would break down. It resists heat, shear (mixing), and acid better than regular starch, so products like salad dressings, fruit fillings, and shelf‑stable sauces stay smooth instead of gelling or thinning out. It also supports emulsions (oil‑in‑water mixes), helping liquids stay uniform without separating.

What foods contain Acetylated oxidised starch?

You’ll most often see it in:

• Pourable dressings, mayonnaise‑type sauces, and marinades
• Soups, gravies, instant sauces, and ready meals
• Fruit preps, pie fillings, jams, and dessert toppings
• Dairy and plant‑based desserts, ice creams, and frozen foods
• Bakery creams and glazes
• Some beverages and flavor emulsions

In the EU, E1451 is an authorised modified starch and may be used in many food categories according to the food additives framework.²

What can replace Acetylated oxidised starch?

Depending on the recipe and processing, common alternatives include:

• Other modified starches: oxidised starch, acetylated starch, acetylated distarch phosphate, hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate, or starch sodium octenyl succinate for emulsions.
• Gums and hydrocolloids: xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, pectins, carrageenan, or gellan gum.

Each option behaves differently. For example, xanthan gives strong thickening at low levels and is very stable, while pectin gels in high‑sugar or acidic systems. Food makers often blend starches and gums to balance texture, clarity, and freeze–thaw stability.

How is Acetylated oxidised starch made?

Manufacturers start with edible starch (such as from maize, potato, or tapioca). They oxidise it (commonly with a food‑grade oxidising agent) and then acetylate it with acetic anhydride to add acetyl groups. The product is then washed and dried to meet purity and performance specifications for food use.³

Is Acetylated oxidised starch safe to eat?

EFSA concluded that modified starches, including E1451, are not of safety concern at the levels used in foods and that setting a numerical acceptable daily intake (ADI) was not necessary under the current uses and exposures.¹ In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorises “food starch‑modified,” which covers starches altered by oxidation and acetylation, when made under good manufacturing practice.⁴

Does Acetylated oxidised starch have any benefits?

For food makers, E1451 offers practical benefits: stable viscosity, good pourability at high solids, improved freeze–thaw performance, and better emulsion stability. For consumers, these traits help deliver sauces that don’t split, fillings that don’t weep, and frozen products that keep their texture after thawing. Modified starches are digested like other starches; EFSA notes they are broken down and used by the body in the same way as native starches under normal dietary conditions.¹

Who should avoid Acetylated oxidised starch?

• People with wheat allergy or those avoiding wheat should check labels. In the U.S., if modified food starch comes from wheat, “wheat” must be declared in the ingredient list per allergen labelling rules.⁵
• Individuals on strict medical diets (for example, certain very low‑carb therapeutic diets) should consult their healthcare professional about overall starch intake.

Myths & facts

• Myth: “E1451 is synthetic plastic.”
  Fact: It is derived from food starch and lightly modified (oxidised and acetylated) for stability; it remains a carbohydrate ingredient used in foods.³
• Myth: “It isn’t allowed in the U.S.”
  Fact: FDA permits food starch‑modified, including starches altered by oxidation and acetylation, when produced under specified conditions.⁴
• Myth: “Modified starch is always gluten‑free.”
  Fact: Source matters. In the U.S., if the starch is from wheat, the label must name wheat so allergic consumers can avoid it.⁵

Acetylated oxidised starch in branded foods

You’ll find “acetylated oxidised starch,” “modified starch,” or “E1451” on ingredient lists for many mainstream sauces, dressings, soups, pie fillings, desserts, and frozen foods. Labels sometimes also state the botanical source (for example, “modified maize starch”). If you’re avoiding specific sources like wheat, look for that detail on the label or contact the manufacturer.

References

Footnotes

1. Re‑evaluation of modified starches (E 1404–E 1451) as food additives — EFSA Journal (2017). https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4745 ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives — Union list and conditions of use — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2008/1333/oj ↩

3. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 — Specifications for food additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 (entry for E 1451). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/231/oj ↩ ↩²

4. 21 CFR 172.892 — Food starch‑modified — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-172/subpart-I/section-172.892 ↩ ↩²

5. Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens, including the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) — U.S. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-allergensgluten-free-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/questions-and-answers-regarding-food-allergens-including-food-allergen-labeling-and-consumer-0 ↩ ↩²