Food additive databasethickener / stabilizerChecked 2026-10-02

Sodium Polyacrylate ポリアクリル酸ナトリウム

Designated additiveNot on the EU additive list

Purpose: thickener / stabilizer
On the label: “増粘剤（ポリアクリル酸Na）” (thickener (sodium polyacrylate)), “糊料（ポリアクリル酸ナトリウム）” (paste (sodium polyacrylate))
Name in the List of Designated Additives: ポリアクリル酸ナトリウム (No. 394)

In Japan

A designated additive used as a paste (“糊料”, thickener) to give foods viscosity. Under the standards for use, the amount used is limited to 0.20% or less of the food.
When used as a thickener, stabilizer, gelling agent, or paste, the purpose name must be written alongside, as in “増粘剤（ポリアクリル酸Na）” (thickener (sodium polyacrylate)). The short name is “ポリアクリル酸Na” (sodium polyacrylate) (annex to the Consumer Affairs Agency's “食品表示基準について” (Notes on the Food Labeling Standards)).

Japan's standards for use

Up to 0.20% of the food, as sodium polyacrylate

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, its use as a food additive is not permitted (it is not on the additive list in Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008).

When it is labeled under a shared name

Sodium Polyacrylate 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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