E14XX - Modified Starch

At a glance

• What it is: Plant starch that has been physically, enzymatically, or chemically adjusted for better performance in food.
• What it does: Thickens, stabilizes, and helps water and oil mix; improves texture and shelf-life.
• Where you’ll see it: “Modified starch” or “modified corn/potato/tapioca/wheat starch” on labels; in the EU, specific E‑numbers from E1400 to E1452.
• Safety: Allowed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and re‑evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) with no major safety concerns at current uses.

Why is Modified Starch added to food?

Food makers use modified starch to keep textures consistent. It can make a sauce smooth, stop a salad dressing from separating, and help a filling stay stable when frozen and thawed. Some types work in hot processes; others thicken without heat (useful for fruit fillings or instant puddings). In short, it makes recipes more reliable during cooking, freezing, shipping, and storage.

What foods contain Modified Starch?

You can find modified starch in many everyday products:

• Soups, sauces, and gravies
• Yogurts, ice creams, and dairy desserts
• Canned or jarred foods and ready meals
• Baked goods and gluten‑free items
• Confectionery and fillings
• Dressings, mayonnaise, and beverages

On ingredient lists, it may appear as “modified starch,” “modified corn starch,” or as specific names such as “acetylated starch,” sometimes alongside E‑numbers in the E1400–E1452 range.

Common E14XX types include:

• Acid‑treated modified starch
• Alkaline‑modified starch
• Bleached starch
• Oxidised starch
• Enzyme‑treated starch
• Monostarch phosphate
• Distarch glycerol
• Distarch phosphate
• Phosphated distarch phosphate
• Acetylated distarch phosphate
• Acetylated starch
• Acetylated starch
• Acetylated distarch adipate
• Hydroxypropyl starch
• Hydroxypropyl distarch glycerine
• Hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate
• Starch sodium octenyl succinate
• Acetylated oxidised starch
• Starch aluminium octenyl succinate

What can replace Modified Starch?

Alternatives depend on the job you need done:

• For thickening: xanthan gum, guar gum, gellan gum, locust bean gum, or pectins
• For gelling: carrageenan, gellan gum, or gelatin (gelatine)
• For emulsifying: some starches like starch sodium octenyl succinate do this, but you can also see mono‑ and diglycerides (E471) in similar roles

Choice depends on taste, clarity, heat processing, and whether the product is frozen, acidic, or dairy‑based.

How is Modified Starch made?

All types start as “native” starch from plants. Then the starch is adjusted so it performs better. This can include:

• Physical or enzyme treatment to change thickness or stability
• Mild oxidation or bleaching for clarity and texture
• Adding small numbers of chemical links (cross‑links) so it resists heat, acid, or mixing
• Adding tiny side groups (like acetyl, phosphate, hydroxypropyl, or octenyl succinate) so it emulsifies or tolerates freezing and thawing

In the United States, the FDA’s Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) specifies which treatments and limits are allowed for “food starch–modified.”¹

Is Modified Starch safe to eat?

In the U.S., modified starch is permitted as a direct food additive under 21 CFR 172.892, which lists approved processes and use conditions.¹ In the European Union, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) re‑evaluated modified starches and found no safety concern at the reported uses and exposures, and no numerical acceptable daily intake (ADI) was considered necessary.²

EFSA also concluded that these starches are handled by the body much like regular starch: they are broken down to simple sugars and used for energy.²

Does Modified Starch have any benefits?

• Better texture and mouthfeel in sauces, soups, and dairy
• Stable thickness during heating, cooling, freezing, and thawing
• Helps water and oil mix in dressings and flavor emulsions
• Consistent performance in factories, which reduces waste and product defects

Who should avoid Modified Starch?

• People with a wheat allergy should check labels. In the U.S., major allergens, including wheat, must be declared in plain language under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA).³
• People with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity should choose products labeled “gluten‑free.” U.S. rules allow wheat starch in gluten‑free foods only if gluten is reduced to less than 20 parts per million (ppm).⁴
• If you are on a carbohydrate‑restricted diet, remember modified starch still contributes carbohydrates and calories.

If you have questions about a specific product, contact the manufacturer for the starch source and processing details.

Myths & facts

• Myth: “Modified starch is synthetic and not from plants.”
  Fact: It starts as plant starch (corn, potato, tapioca, wheat) that is gently adjusted to improve performance.

• Myth: “Modified means unsafe.”
  Fact: “Modified” describes approved processing steps. Both the FDA and EFSA have evaluated these starches for food use.¹²

• Myth: “All modified starches act the same.”
  Fact: Different types are tuned for different jobs—some thicken when cold, some survive high heat, some help emulsify.

Modified Starch in branded foods

You’ll often see “modified starch” or the source named (for example, “modified corn starch”) on ingredient lists. In the EU, some packages show specific E‑numbers (E1400–E1452). To compare products:

• Check the ingredient list for “modified starch” or a named type (such as “acetylated starch”).
• Look for E‑numbers if present, for example E1412 or E1450.
• If you have diet needs (wheat allergy, gluten‑free), look for allergen statements and gluten‑free labeling.

References

Footnotes

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

2. Re‑evaluation of modified starches (E 1404–E 1450) as food additives — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4732 ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-allergensgluten-free-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/food-allergen-labeling-and-consumer-protection-act-2004-falcpa ↩

4. Gluten‑free labeling of foods (21 CFR §101.91) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/section-101.91 ↩