E1452 - Starch aluminium octenyl succinate

At a glance

This section gives the quick facts in plain language.

• What it is: a modified starch linked with a small amount of aluminium, designed to act as an emulsifier, stabiliser, and thickener.
• What it does: helps oil and water mix, keeps flavors evenly dispersed, and improves shelf stability in drinks and flavor powders.
• Where it’s used: beverage emulsions, flavor encapsulates, and some instant drink mixes.
• Taste and texture: neutral taste; contributes body and cloud stability rather than flavor.
• Regulatory status: authorized in the EU as E1452 with defined specifications and purity criteria.
• Typical amounts: used at low levels, just enough to do the job.

Why is starch aluminium octenyl succinate added to food?

It is added to keep mixtures stable and uniform. In practical terms, E1452 helps oil‑based flavor droplets stay suspended in water‑based drinks and keeps microencapsulated flavors intact during storage and mixing.¹

What foods contain starch aluminium octenyl succinate?

You’re most likely to find E1452 in products that need long‑lasting, stable flavor dispersions. Examples include beverage emulsions for soft drinks, spray‑dried flavor powders for instant beverages, and similar flavor or cloud systems used in drinks.²

What can replace starch aluminium octenyl succinate?

Other approved emulsifiers and stabilisers can serve similar roles, depending on the recipe:

• starch sodium octenyl succinate for flavor emulsions
• acacia gum (gum arabic) for beverage flavor emulsions
• glycerol esters of wood rosin or sucrose acetate isobutyrate as beverage weighting agents
• xanthan gum, oxidised starch, or hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate for added stability and viscosity

How is starch aluminium octenyl succinate made?

E1452 is produced by first reacting edible starch with octenyl succinic anhydride to form octenyl succinate groups on the starch. The material is then converted to its aluminium form, creating a starch that can bind and stabilise oil droplets in water. Its identity, production method, and purity criteria are laid out in EU specifications.¹

Is starch aluminium octenyl succinate safe to eat?

European experts re‑evaluated modified starches, including E1452, and found no safety concern at the reported uses and use levels in foods.² Because this additive contains aluminium, EFSA also considered overall dietary aluminium exposure in relation to the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) it previously set; the evaluation did not identify a safety concern for the authorised uses of E1452.²³

Does starch aluminium octenyl succinate have any benefits?

For manufacturers, E1452 provides reliable emulsion stability and protects flavors during processing, storage, and reconstitution. For consumers, that means drinks that look uniform, taste consistent from first sip to last, and mix easily without oily rings or sediment.

Who should avoid starch aluminium octenyl succinate?

Most people do not need to avoid this additive. If you have been advised to limit aluminium from all sources, or you follow a medically supervised diet, ask your healthcare provider whether products containing E1452 fit your plan.

Myths & facts

• “Aluminium additives are always unsafe.” Fact: E1452 has been assessed by EFSA, which found no safety concern at reported uses and levels in food.²
• “It’s the same thing as E1450.” Fact: E1452 is the aluminium form, while starch sodium octenyl succinate is the sodium form; both are modified starch emulsifiers but are not identical.
• “There are no standards for it.” Fact: In the EU, E1452 must meet detailed identity and purity specifications before it can be used in foods.¹

Starch aluminium octenyl succinate in branded foods

On ingredient lists, look for “starch aluminium octenyl succinate” or its short code “E1452.” It may also appear as part of a flavor emulsion or encapsulated flavor component in drinks and instant mixes.

References

Footnotes

1. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 — EU specifications for food additives. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/231/oj ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. Re‑evaluation of modified starches (E 1404–E 1452) as food additives — EFSA Journal (2017) 15(10):4911. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4911 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

3. Safety of aluminium from dietary intake — EFSA Journal (2008) 754:1–34. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/754 ↩