日本語
Food additive databasethickener / stabilizerChecked 2026-10-02

Chitin キチン

Existing food additiveNot on the EU additive list
Purpose
thickener / stabilizer
On the label
“増粘剤（キチン）” (thickener (chitin)), “安定剤（キチン）” (stabilizer (chitin)), “ゲル化剤（キチン）” (gelling agent (chitin)), “キチン” (chitin)
Name in the List of Existing Food Additives
キチン (No. 80)
Source and production
Obtained from the shells of crustaceans such as shrimp and crab, or from squid pens, by removing calcium carbonate with an acidic aqueous solution and protein with a weakly alkaline aqueous solution. It consists of polymers of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine.

In Japan

  • A polysaccharide obtained by removing calcium carbonate and protein from the shells of shrimp, crab, and similar animals or from squid pens. Its purpose on the list is thickening stabilizer (List of Existing Food Additives, list of listed items).
  • When used as a thickener, stabilizer, or gelling agent, it is written together with the purpose name, as in “増粘剤（キチン）” (thickener (chitin)).

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

Chitin 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

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 thickener / stabilizer

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