E404 - Calcium alginate
Synonyms: E404Calcium alginate
Products: Found in 80 products
Calcium alginate (E404) is a gel-forming ingredient made from brown seaweed. It thickens, stabilizes, and holds water in many foods, from fruit fillings to dairy desserts. Safety reviews in the EU and globally find no concern at the levels used in food.
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At a glance
- What it is: the calcium salt of seaweed-derived alginic acid (E404); a thickener, stabiliser, and gelling agent.
- Where it’s used: sauces, jams and fruit fillings, bakery creams, dairy desserts, restructured foods, and modern “spherification.”
- How it works: calcium ions link alginate chains to form firm, heat-stable gels and to trap water.
- Label names: “calcium alginate,” “E404.”
- Diet and allergens: made from seaweed; typically suitable for vegetarians and vegans; not known as a common allergen.
Why is Calcium alginate added to food?
Food makers use calcium alginate to build and hold texture. It can form firm, heat-stable gels, thicken liquids, reduce syneresis (weeping), and keep particles suspended. These functions help stabilize sauces, shape restructured foods, and give desserts a clean cut. It is authorized in the EU as a thickener, stabiliser, carrier, humectant, and sequestrant for various food categories.1
What foods contain Calcium alginate?
You may find E404 in:
- Fruit preps and fillings (to hold shape and reduce weeping)
- Dairy desserts and ice cream ripples
- Bakery creams and glazes
- Savory sauces, dressings, and marinades
- Reformed or shaped products (for example, olive “pearls” made by spherification)
- Plant-based products and meat or fish analogs
On labels, look for “calcium alginate” or “E404.” Related seaweed gums sometimes appear alongside it, such as sodium alginate, alginic acid, or potassium alginate.
What can replace Calcium alginate?
Alternatives depend on the job:
- For thickening and suspension: xanthan gum or guar gum
- For firm gels: gellan gum, agar, or carrageenan
- For jam-like set with fruit acid/sugar: pectins
- For alginate-like systems that gel with calcium: sodium alginate combined with a calcium source such as calcium chloride
How is Calcium alginate made?
Manufacturers extract alginic acid from brown seaweeds, purify it, and then neutralize it with a calcium source to form calcium alginate. After washing and drying, the product meets purity and composition limits set in EU additive specifications.2 Calcium ions link blocks within the alginate chains, creating strong gels that are central to its food uses.3
Is Calcium alginate safe to eat?
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) re‑evaluated alginic acid and its salts (E400–E404) and concluded there is no safety concern at the reported uses and use levels in food.1 The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) assigned alginic acid and its salts an “ADI not specified,” meaning their use at levels needed for food technology is not considered a health risk.3 Alginates are not appreciably absorbed or metabolized; very high intakes may cause mild gastrointestinal effects in some people.3
Does Calcium alginate have any benefits?
- Technical: builds body, forms clean-cut gels, and prevents weeping in fillings and gels.
- Processing: helps shape or bind restructured foods and keeps particles evenly mixed.
- Culinary: enables “cold-set” gels and spherification without heating.
- Formulation: adds texture without adding sugar or fat.
Who should avoid Calcium alginate?
- Young children should not consume “jelly mini-cups” containing certain gelling agents, including alginates, due to choking risk; the EU prohibits their use in that product format.4
- Individuals who notice digestive sensitivity to hydrocolloids may wish to moderate intake, as large amounts can cause gas or loose stools.3
Myths & facts
- Myth: “Calcium alginate is synthetic.” Fact: It is derived from brown seaweed and then converted to a calcium salt.
- Myth: “It adds lots of calcium to your diet.” Fact: It is used in tiny amounts for texture, not as a mineral supplement.
- Myth: “All seaweed gums work the same.” Fact: Alginates gel with calcium; others like agar or carrageenan set in different ways and at different conditions.
- Myth: “It’s the same as konjac.” Fact: Konjac is a different fiber (glucomannan) with different gel behavior.
Calcium alginate in branded foods
You’ll most often see E404 in ingredient lists for fruit fillings, spoonable desserts, sauces, and some plant-based or restructured products. If you are checking a product, look for “Calcium alginate” or “E404” on the label, sometimes alongside related alginates like sodium alginate.
References
Footnotes
-
Re‑evaluation of alginic acid (E 400), sodium alginate (E 401), potassium alginate (E 402), ammonium alginate (E 403) and calcium alginate (E 404) as food additives — EFSA Journal 2017;15(5):4786. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4786 ↩ ↩2
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Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 — Specifications for calcium alginate (E 404). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/231/oj ↩
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Alginic acid and its ammonium, calcium, potassium and sodium salts (ALGINATES) — JECFA Specifications. https://www.fao.org/3/i8449en/I8449EN.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
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Commission Decision 2004/374/EC — Jelly mini-cups containing certain additives: risk of choking and prohibition. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32004D0374 ↩
Popular Questions
How to apply calcium alginate dressing?
Cleanse the wound, dry the surrounding skin, then lay or lightly pack the calcium alginate (sheet or rope) to cover/fill the wound without overpacking and cover with an appropriate secondary dressing; it will gel on contact with exudate and lifts out with gentle irrigation at change. Use it on moderate-to-heavily exuding wounds (not dry wounds) and follow product instructions or clinician guidance.
Is calcium alginate and aquacel ag the same thing?
No. Aquacel Ag is a hydrofiber (sodium carboxymethylcellulose) dressing with ionic silver, while calcium alginate is an alginate fiber dressing without silver unless specified; both gel and absorb exudate, but Aquacel Ag adds antimicrobial action.
Is aquacel ag the same as calcium alginate?
No—Aquacel Ag is carboxymethylcellulose with silver, whereas calcium alginate is alginate fiber; they’re different materials even though both form a gel and manage exudate. Aquacel Ag provides antimicrobial silver, which standard calcium alginate does not.
What does calcium alginate do for wounds?
It absorbs moderate-to-heavy exudate and turns into a soft gel that maintains a moist healing environment while helping protect surrounding skin. Its calcium ions can also help support hemostasis in lightly bleeding wounds.
How often to change calcium alginate dressing?
Typically every 1–3 days, or sooner if the secondary dressing becomes saturated; frequency depends on exudate level and wound condition. Always follow the specific product directions or a clinician’s advice.
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