E323 - Anoxomer

At a glance

• What it is: a high–molecular-weight (polymeric) antioxidant intended to protect fats and oils.
• Where you’ll find it: rarely on ingredient lists; more commonly in packaging materials rather than in the food itself.
• Regulatory note: in the United States, it is cleared as an antioxidant/stabilizer for certain food-contact polymers, not as a direct food ingredient.¹

Why is Anoxomer added to food?

Antioxidants slow the reactions between oxygen and food, helping to keep flavors and colors stable and delaying rancidity in fatty foods.² Anoxomer was developed to perform this job while being polymeric (large in size), which limits its movement and potential absorption compared with small-molecule antioxidants.

What foods contain Anoxomer?

If used directly, Anoxomer would most logically be added to fat-rich products to protect them during processing and storage. In practice, you are unlikely to see “E323” or “Anoxomer” on ingredient lists today. In the United States, its cleared use is as an antioxidant/stabilizer in certain plastics and other materials that may contact food; any consumer exposure would be through extremely small amounts that might migrate from packaging, not from deliberate addition to the recipe.¹³

What can replace Anoxomer?

Food makers more often rely on other antioxidants that are widely used and labeled, such as:

• Natural-type antioxidants: ascorbic acid, tocopherols (vitamin E) and alpha-tocopherol, extracts of rosemary, and citric acid as a synergist.
• Conventional synthetic antioxidants: BHA, BHT, TBHQ, and propyl gallate.

How is Anoxomer made?

Anoxomer is produced as a polymeric (high–molecular-weight) antioxidant, then used to stabilize plastics or coatings that may contact food. In the U.S., its manufacture and composition for this purpose must meet the specifications and conditions listed for antioxidants and stabilizers used in food-contact polymers.¹

Is Anoxomer safe to eat?

For its approved role in food-contact materials, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists Anoxomer among the antioxidants/stabilizers that may be safely used in polymers, subject to specific conditions of use and good manufacturing practice.¹ FDA’s general provisions for indirect food additives also require that any migration to food be minimized and safe under intended conditions of use.³ These clearances do not automatically mean it is allowed as a direct food ingredient; approvals depend on jurisdiction and intended use.

Does Anoxomer have any benefits?

• Helps protect fats and oils from oxidation during processing and storage, which supports flavor and shelf life.
• Because it is polymeric, it is designed to have very low mobility, which helps limit migration from packaging into food compared with many small-molecule antioxidants.

Who should avoid Anoxomer?

• People aiming to avoid synthetic antioxidants altogether can choose products that use alternatives like ascorbic acid, tocopherols, or extracts of rosemary.
• If you are managing a sensitivity to certain antioxidants, note that Anoxomer is seldom used as a direct ingredient; check labels and contact manufacturers if you have specific concerns.

Myths & facts

• Myth: “Anoxomer is the same as BHA or BHT.”
  Fact: It serves a similar antioxidant role, but Anoxomer is polymeric (large molecules), while BHA and BHT are small molecules.
• Myth: “If a package contains Anoxomer, it must appear on the food label.”
  Fact: Components of food-contact materials generally do not appear on ingredient lists; only ingredients added to the food itself are listed.

Anoxomer in branded foods

You are unlikely to find Anoxomer listed on ingredient panels of retail foods. Where permitted, it may be used behind the scenes in packaging or coatings to help keep foods stable; that role does not appear as an ingredient on labels.

References

Footnotes

1. Antioxidants and/or stabilizers for polymers (21 CFR 178.2010) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-178/subpart-B/section-178.2010 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

2. Overview of Food Ingredients, Additives & Colors — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-ingredients-packaging/overview-food-ingredients-additives-colors ↩

3. Indirect food additives: General provisions (21 CFR 174.5) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-174/section-174.5 ↩ ↩²