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E1422Modified starchLow concern
Acetylated Distarch Adipate
In plain words
The short version
A doubly modified starch — acetylated and crosslinked — used as a freeze-thaw-stable thickener.
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
No ADI specified. Considered safe. EFSA notes that modified starches are not absorbed intact: they are significantly broken down by intestinal enzymes and then fermented by gut bacteria. Not associated with allergens despite typically being maize-derived. Allergen labelling applies only when the source starch is wheat.
The detail
Produced by treating native starch (often maize, tapioca, or potato) with acetic anhydride and adipic anhydride. The two modifications increase paste stability and resistance to retrogradation, breakdown, and freeze-thaw cycling.
Used in frozen ready meals, sauces, soups, dressings, and infant foods. Provides smooth, stable texture that survives freezing, reheating, and acid environments. Among the most common modified starches in industrial food.
Off-white powder. Hydrates in cold or hot water to give clear, viscous pastes. Markedly more stable to freeze-thaw than unmodified starch.
Permitted globally without restrictive limits.
Sources
- EFSA — Re-evaluation of oxidised starch (E 1404) … acetylated distarch adipate (E 1422) … as food additives, EFSA Journal 2017;15(10):4911, doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4911 (full text on PubMed Central) — European Food Safety Authority (ANS Panel), 2017. ADI 'not specified'; no safety concern at reported uses; digestion (hydrolysed, then fermented)
- WHO JECFA database — Acetylated distarch adipate (INS 1422), ADI 'not specified' (82nd meeting, 2016) — WHO / Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, 2016. No ADI specified
- eCFR — 21 CFR 172.892 Food starch-modified — U.S. Food and Drug Administration / Office of the Federal Register, 2001. US: permitted as food starch-modified (adipic/acetic anhydride treatment)
- EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives, consolidated text of 18 August 2026 (Annex II, Group I) — European Union (Publications Office), 2026. EU: permitted at quantum satis
Checked against these sources on .
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