日本語
Food additive databaseprocessing agentChecked 2026-10-02

Hyaluronic Acid ヒアルロン酸

Existing food additiveNot on the EU additive list
Purpose
processing agent
On the label
“ヒアルロン酸” (hyaluronic acid), “ムコ多糖” (mucopolysaccharide)
Name in the List of Existing Food Additives
ヒアルロン酸 (No. 224)
Source and production
There are two kinds, both with hyaluronic acid as the main component: one extracted from chicken combs with water, an alkaline aqueous solution, or an acidic aqueous solution and then purified (hyaluronic acid (chicken)), and one purified from a bacterial (Streptococcus zooepidemicus or S. equi) culture broth after removing and killing the bacteria (hyaluronic acid (fermentation)).

In Japan

  • A substance with hyaluronic acid as the main component, obtained either by extraction from chicken combs or from a bacterial culture broth; the two are called “ヒアルロン酸（鶏）” (hyaluronic acid (chicken)) and “ヒアルロン酸（発酵）” (hyaluronic acid (fermentation)) respectively (definitions in the Japan's Specifications and Standards for Food Additives). In the List of Existing Food Additives, its purpose is listed as processing agent (“製造用剤”). There are no standards for use.
  • When labeled by substance name, the category name is “ムコ多糖” (mucopolysaccharide) (annex to the CAA's “食品表示基準について” (Notes on the Food Labeling Standards)).

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.
  • In the EU, it is not authorized for use as a food additive (it is not on the additive list).

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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