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E404ThickenerLow concern
Calcium Alginate
In plain words
The short version
The calcium salt of seaweed alginate — forms firm, heat-stable gels used in restructured foods.
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; not absorbed, acting as soluble fiber.
The detail
The calcium salt of alginic acid from brown seaweed.
Gelling agent and thickener that forms firm, heat-stable gels — used in restructured foods, flavor encapsulation, and as the set gel in culinary 'spherification'.
White-to-cream powder, insoluble in water, forming firm gels.
Permitted in the EU, the US, and globally.
Sources
- EFSA ANS Panel — Re-evaluation of alginic acid and its sodium, potassium, ammonium and calcium salts (E 400–E 404) as food additives (2017) — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA Journal 2017;15(11):5049), 2017. Safety: no numerical ADI; not absorbed
- WHO JECFA database — Calcium alginate (INS 404) — Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (WHO), 1992. Safety: ADI not specified
- 21 CFR 184.1187 — Calcium alginate (eCFR, current as of 13 Oct 2026) — US eCFR / Office of the Federal Register, 2026. Origin and US regulation: calcium salt of alginic acid; GRAS with use limits
- EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives, consolidated version of 18 August 2026 — Publications Office of the European Union, 2026. Regulation: permitted in the EU
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.