Food additive databasebittering agentChecked 2026-10-02
Phellodendron bark extract キハダ抽出物
Existing food additiveNot on the EU additive list
- Purpose
- bittering agent
- On the label
- “苦味料” (bittering agent), “キハダ抽出物” (phellodendron bark extract), “キハダ” (phellodendron)
- Name in the List of Existing Food Additives
- キハダ抽出物 (No. 84)
- Source and production
- Obtained by extracting the bark of the Amur cork tree (Phellodendron amurense, family Rutaceae) with water or ethanol. The main component is berberine.
In Japan
- A bittering agent extracted from the bark of the Amur cork tree; the main component is berberine. Its purpose in the list of existing food additives is “bittering agent, etc.” (苦味料等). There are no standards for use.
- When used to add bitterness, it can be labeled with the group name “苦味料” (bittering agent). When written by substance name, the abbreviated name is “キハダ” (phellodendron).
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.
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
- 日本食品化学研究振興財団「既存添加物名簿収載品目リスト」（令和7年8月25日現在） (Japanese)
- 消費者庁「食品表示基準について」別添 添加物関係（簡略名・用途名併記・一括名・栄養強化の範囲） (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.