Starch sodium octenyl succinate

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Starch sodium octenyl succinate (SSOS) is a chemically modified food starch produced by esterification of food starch with octenylsuccinic anhydride, followed by neutralisation with sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate. It is widely used as an emulsifier, thickener, and stabiliser in a broad range of processed foods, infant formulae, dietary foods, and low-fat products.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

JECFA assigned an ADI 'not specified', confirming very low general toxicity; single doses up to 25,000 mg were well tolerated by fasting healthy adults. However, EFSA identified unresolved data gaps and noted gastrointestinal symptoms in infants fed hypoallergenic formula containing OSA-modified starch, concluding that available data do not allow adequate safety assessment for infants and young children at presently authorised maximum use levels. In humans, modified starches are not absorbed intact but are hydrolysed by intestinal enzymes and fermented by intestinal microbiota.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Authorised under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 (Annexes II and III). ADI 'not specified' by JECFA and the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF). EFSA 2017 re-evaluation identified data gaps for infant populations; a dedicated follow-up opinion (2020) assessed use in infants below 16 weeks. EFSA concluded that available data do not allow adequate safety assessment for infants and young children at presently authorised maximum use levels of 20,000–50,000 mg/kg. Use in infant formulae must be gluten-free per Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127. As of 2024, a further call for data has been issued by the European Commission covering outstanding data gaps.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Permitted as food starch-modified under 21 CFR 172.892. Also listed in FDA's Inventory of Food Contact Substances (21 CFR Parts 175–178). No specific ADI established; use is subject to good manufacturing practice.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Infants — EFSA noted gastrointestinal symptoms in infants fed formula containing OSA-modified starch and concluded that available data do not allow adequate safety assessment for infants and young children at presently authorised maximum use levels; safety for infants below 16 weeks remains under active regulatory review.

Gluten Intolerance — EFSA noted that E 1450 used in infant formulae must not contain gluten per Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127; when derived from wheat starch, products may carry trace gluten risk for individuals with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance unless the source starch is certified gluten-free.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1WHO. JECFA Food Additives Contaminants Database: Starch sodium octenylsuccinate (Chemical ID 340). apps.who.int
2other. JECFA Monograph 16: Modified Starches (FAO/WHO). fao.org
3PubMed. Sodium salt of starch octenylsuccinate as an emulsifier in 'light' type mayonnaises. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4other. Call for scientific and technical data on the permitted food additives … starch sodium octenyl succinate (E 1450) – European Commission (March 2024), 2024. food.ec.europa.eu
5PubMed. Opinion on the re-evaluation of starch sodium octenyl succinate (E 1450) as a food additive in foods for infants below 16 weeks of age and the follow-up of its re-evaluation as a food additive for uses in foods for all population groups, 2020. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched6 citations