Bentonite
The short version
A natural smectite clay — the standard wine fining agent and a clarifier for fruit juices.
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
JECFA has not set an ADI for bentonite; its 2026 review covered specifications only. US rules state that use under good manufacturing practice results in no significant residue in foods, and EFSA's feed panel has concluded that bentonites are safe for consumers when used in animal feed and that smectites, their main mineral, are not genotoxic. Bentonite is filtered out after the fining step. Naturally contains trace heavy metals, so food-grade material must meet purity criteria.
Sources
- EFSA FEEDAP Panel — Safety and efficacy of bentonite as a feed additive for all animal species (2017), EFSA Journal 15(12):5096, doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2017.5096 (PMC full text) — European Food Safety Authority, 2017. Consumer safety/non-genotoxicity (feed use) and expiry of EU food-additive authorisation
- WHO JECFA database — Bentonite (INS 558), 102nd meeting (2026) — WHO / FAO JECFA, 2026. JECFA reviewed specifications only; no ADI set
- EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives, consolidated text of 18 August 2026 (Annex II Part B) — European Union (EUR-Lex), 2026. E 558 authorised only until 31 May 2013
- 21 CFR 184.1155 — Bentonite (CFR 2025 edition, govinfo) — U.S. Government Publishing Office / FDA, 2025. US GRAS as processing aid; no significant residue
Checked against these sources on .
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