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E235PreservativeLow concern
Natamycin
In plain words
The short version
A polyene antifungal antibiotic — used on cheese rinds and dried sausage surfaces to inhibit mold.
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 of 0.3 mg/kg body weight. Generally considered safe at surface-use levels. In 2024 JECFA concluded there is no concern for the induction of antimicrobial resistance and that the risk of natamycin disrupting the human gut microbiome is low; it re-affirmed the ADI of 0–0.3 mg/kg body weight.
The detail
Produced by fermentation of Streptomyces natalensis, a soil bacterium first isolated in Natal, South Africa, in 1955. The same fermentation also yields related polyene antibiotics. Adopted as a food preservative from the 1960s.
Applied to cheese rinds (dipping, spraying, or in coating wax), dried sausage casings, and the surface of some yogurts to prevent mold spoilage. Surface application only — natamycin does not migrate significantly into the food interior. In the EU the maximum is 1 mg/dm² of surface, and it must not be present at a depth of 5 mm.
Yellow-white crystalline powder, very poorly soluble in water and oils — a property that contributes to its surface-only action. Binds to ergosterol in fungal cell membranes.
Permitted in the EU and US for specific surface treatments. Maximum residue limits apply.
Sources
- JECFA database — Natamycin (pimaricin) (INS 235), evaluation 2024 (99th meeting) — WHO / Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, 2024. Safety: ADI 0–0.3 mg/kg bw re-affirmed; no concern for antimicrobial resistance
- European Commission Food Additives Database — E 235 Natamycin — European Commission, DG SANTE, 2026. EU: only external treatment of uncut hard/semi-hard/semi-soft cheese and dried cured sausages; max 1 mg/dm²
- 21 CFR 172.155 — Natamycin (pimaricin), CFR 2025 edition — U.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo) / FDA, 2025. US: permitted on cheese, max 20 mg/kg in finished product
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.