E1401 - Acid-treated modified starch

At a glance

• What it is: starch from plants (such as corn, potato, wheat, or tapioca) that has been partially hydrolyzed with food-grade acids to adjust its thickening behavior.¹
• What it does: works as a thickener, stabiliser, and emulsifier to control body, texture, and suspension in many foods.
• Label names: “food starch-modified” (U.S.) or “E1401” / “modified starch” (EU).²
• Regulatory status: authorized in both the U.S. and EU; modified starches have long-standing safety evaluations with no numerical ADI (acceptable daily intake) needed by international experts.³

Why is Acid-treated modified starch added to food?

Food makers use E1401 to get consistent, predictable thickening and setting. Compared with native starch, it disperses and cooks more evenly, resists breakdown during processing, and helps stabilize mixtures so particles don’t settle.

What foods contain Acid-treated modified starch?

You’ll see it in everyday items that need a smooth or gelled texture. These include sauces and gravies, canned or chilled soups, fruit pie fillings, confectionery, and some dairy desserts. In baked goods and gluten-free products, it can improve structure and moisture control.

What can replace Acid-treated modified starch?

Alternatives depend on the job:

• For thickening and stability: xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, gellan gum, or pectins.
• For similar starch functionality: other modified starches such as oxidised starch, enzyme-treated starch, monostarch phosphate, distarch phosphate, phosphated distarch phosphate, acetylated starch, acetylated distarch adipate, or hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate.

How is Acid-treated modified starch made?

Manufacturers start with edible starch (for example, corn, potato, wheat, or tapioca starch), treat it with limited amounts of food-grade acid (commonly hydrochloric or sulfuric), then neutralize, wash, and dry it.¹ In EU specifications, E1401 is defined as starch modified by treatment with acids under controlled conditions and then brought back to a neutral pH before use.⁴ This controlled hydrolysis shortens some of the starch chains, which lowers hot-paste viscosity and changes how the starch thickens and sets.³

Is Acid-treated modified starch safe to eat?

In the U.S., “food starch-modified,” which includes acid-modified starch, is permitted for use in foods at good manufacturing practice (GMP) levels under 21 CFR §172.892.¹ International expert committees (JECFA, for FAO/WHO) concluded that modified starches are digested and metabolized like common starch and assigned them an ADI “not specified,” reflecting low toxicological concern at expected use levels.³ In the EU, E1401 has official specifications and is authorized as a food additive under EU law.⁴

Does Acid-treated modified starch have any benefits?

Yes. It helps products keep the same texture from batch to batch, improves process tolerance during cooking and mixing, and can give a clean, smooth mouthfeel. It also supports stable suspensions and reduces separation in liquids.

Who should avoid Acid-treated modified starch?

• People with wheat allergy or celiac disease should check the source. In the U.S., if a modified starch is made from wheat, “wheat” must be declared in the ingredient list or in a “Contains” statement.⁵
• Anyone advised to limit starches or specific carbohydrates for medical reasons should follow their clinician’s guidance.

Myths & facts

• Myth: “Modified starch is a synthetic plastic.” Fact: E1401 is simply plant starch treated with food-grade acid, then neutralized and cleaned; it remains a carbohydrate ingredient used for texture.⁴
• Myth: “It isn’t allowed in the U.S.” Fact: Acid-modified starch is included within “food starch-modified” and is permitted for use at GMP levels in the U.S. food supply.¹
• Myth: “It isn’t digested.” Fact: International reviews found modified starches are digested and metabolized like regular starch, with low toxicological concern at typical intakes.³

Acid-treated modified starch in branded foods

How to spot it on labels:

• U.S.: look for “food starch-modified” in the ingredient list; if it is from wheat, the label must identify “wheat.”⁵
• EU: look for “E1401” or “modified starch” by name in the ingredients, as allowed by EU additive labeling rules.² Actual brand recipes change often, so always check the current package.

References

Footnotes

1. 21 CFR §172.892 Food starch-modified — U.S. FDA (eCFR). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-172/subpart-I/section-172.892 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

2. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives — general rules and labeling (name or E-number). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32008R1333 ↩ ↩²

3. Modified starches — Toxicological evaluation (ADI “not specified”), JECFA/WHO. http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v05je33.htm ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 — Specifications for food additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 (entry for E 1401). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0231 ↩ ↩² ↩³

5. Food Allergies: What You Need to Know — U.S. FDA (major allergen labeling, including wheat). https://www.fda.gov/food/food-allergensgluten-free-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/food-allergies-what-you-need-know ↩ ↩²