E1403 - Bleached starch

At a glance

• What it is: A whitened, food-grade modified starch used as a thickener, stabiliser, and emulsifier.
• Where it comes from: Starch from corn, potato, tapioca, or wheat that is treated and then washed and dried.
• What it does: Improves texture, prevents separation, and gives a clean color in sauces, soups, fillings, and more.
• Common foods: Canned soups, sauces and gravies, fruit fillings, dressings, dairy desserts, confectionery, and instant mixes.
• Alternatives: Other modified starches and gums such as oxidised starch, xanthan gum, or guar gum.
• Safety: Allowed in both the EU and U.S. for use in foods within strict specifications.
• Allergen note: If made from wheat, the source must be labeled; gluten-free products must meet the legal gluten limit.

Why is Bleached starch added to food?

Food makers add bleached starch to control texture and stability. It thickens soups and sauces, keeps water and oil mixed (emulsifies), and helps fillings hold together during heating and cooling. Because it is whitened, it also avoids adding a yellow or dull tint to light-colored foods.

What foods contain Bleached starch?

You may find E1403 in:

• Canned and chilled soups, chowders, and stews
• Jarred and powdered sauces and gravies
• Fruit pie fillings, jams, and bakery creams
• Dressings, dips, and marinades
• Dairy desserts and flavored milks
• Confectionery, gummies, and chewy candies
• Instant noodles, ready meals, and dry mixes

On labels, it can appear as “bleached starch,” “modified starch,” or “E1403” (in the EU). In the U.S., labels often say “modified food starch,” with the source named if it contains a major allergen like wheat.

What can replace Bleached starch?

Depending on the recipe and texture needed, common swaps include:

• Other modified starches: oxidised starch, monostarch phosphate, distarch phosphate, hydroxypropyl starch, hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate, or acetylated distarch adipate.
• Gums and hydrocolloids: xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, gellan gum, carrageenan, or agar.
• Cellulose derivatives for body and stability: sodium carboxy methyl cellulose. Choice depends on heat, acidity, freeze–thaw needs, clarity, and clean-label goals.

How is Bleached starch made?

Bleached starch starts as edible starch (often from corn, potato, tapioca, or wheat). It is treated with food-grade bleaching agents under controlled conditions, then thoroughly washed and dried. In the EU, E1403 covers starches whitened without adding new functional groups to the starch molecule, and it must meet detailed purity specifications.¹ In the U.S., “food starch–modified” regulations allow bleaching with oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide or hypochlorite, followed by neutralization and drying, and require good manufacturing practice (GMP) use levels.²

Is Bleached starch safe to eat?

Regulators consider bleached starch safe at permitted uses. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) re-evaluated modified starches (E 1401–E 1451) and found no safety concern at the reported uses and use levels, and no need for a numerical acceptable daily intake.³ In the U.S., bleached starch falls under the “food starch–modified” rule, which permits its use in foods when manufactured as specified and used in line with GMP.²

Does Bleached starch have any benefits?

For food makers, it offers reliable thickening, a clean white color, and stable texture through heating, pumping, and storage. For consumers, this means sauces that pour smoothly, fillings that do not weep, and products with a consistent look and feel from batch to batch.

Who should avoid Bleached starch?

• People with a wheat allergy or celiac disease should check the source. If the starch comes from wheat, it must be labeled as such in the U.S., and “gluten-free” foods must meet the 20 ppm gluten limit.⁴
• If you follow a grain-free or specific-ingredient diet, look for products using potato or tapioca starch, or choose alternatives like xanthan gum or pectins.

Myths & facts

• Myth: “Bleached starch is the same as adding household bleach to food.” Fact: Food-grade oxidizing agents and food processing standards are used, and the starch must meet strict purity specifications before it can be sold as E1403.¹
• Myth: “Bleached starch always adds gluten.” Fact: Starch can come from many sources. Corn, potato, and tapioca starch are naturally gluten-free; wheat-based starch must be labeled, and gluten-free claims must meet legal limits.⁴
• Myth: “Bleached starch is only cosmetic.” Fact: Whitening helps appearance, but the main reasons are texture and stability in real-world processing.

Bleached starch in branded foods

You might see E1403 or “modified starch” on ingredient lists of:

• Canned soup and gravy brands
• Pie fillings and bakery creams in supermarket desserts
• Squeezable dressings and refrigerated dips
• Puddings, custards, and flavored dairy drinks
• Instant meal kits and noodle cups Label wording varies by region. In the EU, “E1403” may be shown; in the U.S., the source may be listed when it is an allergen (for example, “modified wheat starch”).

References

Footnotes

1. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 — Specifications for food additives (E 1401–E 1451, including E 1403). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/231/oj ↩ ↩²

2. 21 CFR 172.892 — Food starch-modified. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-172/subpart-I/section-172.892 ↩ ↩²

3. Re-evaluation of modified starches (E 1401–E 1451) as food additives — EFSA Journal 2017;15(1):4669. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4669 ↩

4. Questions and Answers: Gluten-Free Food Labeling Final Rule — U.S. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-allergens-gluten-free-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/questions-and-answers-gluten-free-food-labeling-final-rule ↩ ↩²