日本語
Food additive databaseprocessing agentChecked 2026-10-02

Bentonite ベントナイト

Existing food additiveNot on the EU additive list
Purpose
processing agent
On the label
“ベントナイト” (bentonite), “不溶性鉱物性物質” (insoluble mineral substances)
Name in the List of Existing Food Additives
ベントナイト (No. 272)
Source and production
Obtained by drying bentonite mined from mineral deposits. The main component is hydrated aluminum silicate (definition in the specifications).

In Japan

  • A mineral substance whose main component is hydrated aluminum silicate; its purpose in the List of Existing Food Additives is processing agent. The category name is “不溶性鉱物性物質” (insoluble mineral substances).
  • There are standards for use: it can be used only where essential for manufacturing or processing the food, and the amount remaining in the food is set at 0.50% or less.
  • When it counts as a processing aid, for example because it is used during processing and hardly remains in the final food, labeling is exempt.

Japan's standards for use

  • Must not be used except where essential for the manufacture or processing of the food
  • Residue in the food: 0.50% or less (the total amount when two or more insoluble mineral substances with the same standard, such as acid clay, kaolin, and talc, are used)

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.
  • In the EU additive list (Regulation 1333/2008, Annex II), the approval of E558 bentonite was set to run until 31 May 2013.

Sources

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.

Other substances used as processing agent

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