Food additive databasethickener / stabilizer, processing agentChecked 2026-10-02
Bacillus Natto Gum 納豆菌ガム
Existing food additiveNot on the EU additive list
- Purpose
- thickener / stabilizer, processing agent
- On the label
- “増粘剤（納豆菌ガム）” (thickener (natto bacillus gum)), “安定剤（納豆菌ガム）” (stabilizer (natto bacillus gum)), “増粘剤（ポリグルタミン酸）” (thickener (polyglutamic acid)), “納豆菌粘質物” (natto bacillus mucilage)
- Name in the List of Existing Food Additives
- 納豆菌ガム (No. 208)
- Source and production
- Obtained from a culture of natto bacillus (Bacillus subtilis), with polyglutamic acid as the main component.
In Japan
- Its main component is polyglutamic acid obtained from a culture of natto bacillus, and it is used as a thickener/stabilizer and as a processing agent. There are no standards for use.
- The alternative name is “納豆菌粘質物” (natto bacillus mucilage) and the short name is “ポリグルタミン酸” (polyglutamic acid). When used as a thickener, stabilizer, or gelling agent, it is written together with the purpose name, as in “増粘剤（納豆菌ガム）” (thickener (natto bacillus gum)).
Japan's standards for use
There are no standards for use that limit which foods or how much (the general standards for all additives still apply).
This is a summary of the standards for use. See the source list for the exact conditions.
In the EU
- It is not on the EU list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II), so it cannot be used as a food additive in the EU.
When it is labeled under a shared name
Bacillus Natto Gum may be declared on the label in the same way as “増粘剤・安定剤・ゲル化剤”. See Thickener / stabilizer / gelling agent for details.
Sources
- List of Existing Food Additives — Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation (Japanese)
- Standards for use and storage of each additive — Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation (Japanese)
- EU food additive database (Japanese translation) — MAFF (Japanese)
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives — EUR-Lex
- 第10版食品添加物公定書（2024年、厚生労働省・消費者庁）成分規格・保存基準各条の定義 (Japanese)
- 消費者庁「食品表示基準について」本体（添加物の物質名・簡略名・増粘多糖類・用途名・加工助剤・栄養強化） (Japanese)
Checked 2026-10-02. Rules and evaluations change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.
This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies; it is not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. The ADI is a guide to the amount that is considered safe to take every day over a lifetime.