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E1413Modified starchLow concern
Phosphated Distarch Phosphate
In plain words
The short version
A doubly phosphorylated distarch — combines extra hydration with cross-linked stability.
Why it's green
It's widely considered safe at the amounts used in food, so we mark it green. The Safety section below has the details.
Safety profile
ADI not specified — considered safe. Same dietary fate as native starch; phosphate from the ester groups is released in digestion but contributes only a small fraction of total dietary phosphate.
The detail
Manufactured by combining cross-linking (distarch phosphate via phosphorus oxychloride or sodium trimetaphosphate) with additional monoester phosphorylation. The dual modification gives both heat-and-shear resistance and high water-binding.
Used in canned soups, retort pouches, frozen ready meals, and infant cereals where the modification must survive aggressive thermal processing while still delivering smooth texture and reduced syneresis on rethermalization.
Off-white powder. Survives autoclave (retort) processing without losing viscosity.
Permitted in the EU, generally at quantum satis, with a maximum of 50 g/kg in processed cereal-based foods and baby foods for infants and young children. In the US it is permitted as 'food starch-modified', with limits on the treatment reagents and on residual phosphate (21 CFR 172.892).
Sources
- EFSA ANS Panel: Re-evaluation of ... phosphated distarch phosphate (E 1413) ... as food additives. EFSA Journal 2017;15(10):4911 — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA Journal), 2017. ADI not specified / no numerical ADI needed; considered safe
- JECFA database: Phosphated distarch phosphate (INS 1413), ADI not specified (2016) — WHO / Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), 2016. ADI not specified
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, consolidated text of 18.08.2026 (Annex II, category 13.1.3) — Publications Office of the European Union, 2026. EU maximum in infant cereals / baby foods
- 21 CFR 172.892 Food starch-modified — US FDA / Office of the Federal Register (eCFR). US permits phosphate cross-linked starch with reagent/residue limits
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.