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

Guar Gum グァーガム

Existing food additivePermitted in the EU (E412)
Purpose
thickener / stabilizer
On the label
“増粘剤（グァーガム）” (thickener (guar gum)), “安定剤（グァー）” (stabilizer (guar)), “ゲル化剤（グァーガム）” (gelling agent (guar gum)), “増粘多糖類” (thickening polysaccharides), “グァーフラワー” (guar flour), “グァルガム” (guar gum)
Name in the List of Existing Food Additives
グァーガム (No. 88)
Source and production
Obtained from the seeds of guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba); the main component is polysaccharides. It may contain sucrose, glucose, lactose, or dextrin (definition in the component specifications).

In Japan

  • A polysaccharide obtained from guar seeds, used as a thickening stabilizer. “グァーガム酵素分解物” (enzymatically decomposed guar gum), made by crushing the seeds and breaking them down, is a separate item on the list.
  • No standards for use (permitted foods and upper limits) have been set.
  • When used for thickening, stabilizing, or gelling, the purpose name is shown alongside, as in “増粘剤（グァーガム）” (thickener (guar gum)). When two or more polysaccharides classed as thickening stabilizers are used together, they can be labeled together with the simplified name “増粘多糖類” (thickening polysaccharides). The simplified name is “グァー” (guar), and other names are “グァーフラワー” (guar flour) and “グァルガム” (guar 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 on the EU list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II) as E412.
  • In its 2017 re-evaluation, EFSA concluded that there is no need to set a numerical ADI for guar gum (E412).

When it is labeled under a shared name

Guar 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

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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