Food additive databasesweetenerChecked 2026-10-02
Thaumatin タウマチン
Existing food additivePermitted in the EU (E957)
- Purpose
- sweetener
- On the label
- “甘味料（タウマチン）” (sweetener (thaumatin)), “甘味料（ソーマチン）” (sweetener (thaumatin; alternate Japanese spelling))
- Name in the List of Existing Food Additives
- タウマチン (No. 171)
- Source and production
- Obtained from the seeds of Thaumatococcus daniellii; the main component is thaumatin (a protein). The dry matter contains at least 94% thaumatin (specifications).
In Japan
- Its main component is thaumatin, a sweet-tasting protein obtained from the seeds of Thaumatococcus daniellii, a plant native to West Africa. In the list of items in the List of Existing Food Additives its purpose is sweetener, and its alternate name is “ソーマチン” (thaumatin, alternate Japanese spelling).
- A sweetener must be written together with its purpose name, so the label reads “甘味料（タウマチン）” (sweetener (thaumatin)) or “甘味料（ソーマチン）” (sweetener (thaumatin; alternate Japanese spelling)). There are no standards for use.
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 E957.
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)
- 第10版 食品添加物公定書（2024年、厚生労働省・消費者庁）成分規格の定義 (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.