E445 Glycerol ester of wood rosin (Ester gum)
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The rosin comes from pine stumps. JECFA specifies food-grade glycerol.
It is not a sugar, and a finished drink may contain at most 100 ppm.
Fine for most people at normal amounts.
Rules by country
The FDA allows glycerol ester of wood, gum or tall-oil rosin in drinks at up to 100 ppm (21 CFR 172.735). Health Canada lists the wood-rosin ester on its own, at 100 ppm in beverages that contain citrus or spruce oils. EFSA's 2023 opinion set an acceptable daily intake of 10 mg per kg of body weight for the wood-rosin ester from longleaf and slash pine, and found no safety concern at the permitted levels. JECFA's figure, set in 2013, is 0 to 25 mg per kg. In the EU, cloudy drinks are capped at 100 mg per litre and a citrus-peel coating at 50 mg per kg.
How much is too much? (Acceptable Daily Intake)
Based on 10 mg per kg of body weight (EFSA / JECFA). A 20 kg (44 lb) child: 200 mg a day.
What is it?
Glycerol ester of wood rosin is a hard, amber solid. Makers use it because it is heavier than citrus oil, so the flavor stays spread through the drink instead of rising to the top.
Where it comes from: JECFA describes resin acids taken from aged pine stumps, then esterified with food-grade glycerol and cleaned with steam. The specification it uses is longleaf pine and slash pine, not gum rosin from living trees and not tall-oil rosin from paper mills.
Why it’s in food
- Weighs down citrus oils in soft drinks
- Keeps a cloudy soda looking even
- Coats citrus peel in the EU, at up to 50 mg per kg
Often found in
Also listed as: Ester gum, Glycerol esters of wood rosin, Glycerol esters of wood rosins, GEWR, E445
Health & gut impact
EFSA set an acceptable daily intake of 10 mg per kg of body weight and found no safety concern for this ester at the maximum permitted levels or at the levels industry reported.
EFSA FAF Panel (2023), glycerol esters of wood rosins (E 445)
EFSA's review of the feeding studies found the ester bonds mostly survive digestion. Absorption was about 5 percent of the dose or less, and most of what was absorbed left in the bile.
EFSA ANS Panel (2018), re-evaluation of glycerol esters of wood rosin (E 445)
What can I use instead?
Related
More emulsifiers:
Common questions
Is ester gum the same as brominated vegetable oil?
No. Brominated vegetable oil is a different ingredient, and the FDA has banned it. Ester gum is pine rosin joined to glycerol, still allowed in drinks at a low cap.
The label says glycerol ester of rosin, not wood rosin. Is that this?
In the US, one rule covers the wood, gum and tall-oil esters, each capped at 100 ppm in the drink. This page is the wood-rosin ester, E445. The other two do the same job.
Is Glycerol ester of wood rosin safe?
Generally safe (88/100). The FDA allows glycerol ester of wood, gum or tall-oil rosin in drinks at up to 100 ppm (21 CFR 172.735). Health Canada lists the wood-rosin ester on its own, at 100 ppm in beverages that contain citrus or spruce oils. EFSA's 2023 opinion set an acceptable daily intake of 10 mg per kg of body weight for the wood-rosin ester from longleaf and slash pine, and found no safety concern at the permitted levels. JECFA's figure, set in 2013, is 0 to 25 mg per kg. In the EU, cloudy drinks are capped at 100 mg per litre and a citrus-peel coating at 50 mg per kg.
Is Glycerol ester of wood rosin vegan?
Yes. The rosin comes from pine stumps. JECFA specifies food-grade glycerol.
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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
- 21 CFR 172.735 (US FDA)
- EFSA OpenFoodTox: E445
- EFSA FAF Panel (2023), glycerol esters of wood rosins (E 445)
- EFSA ANS Panel (2018), re-evaluation of glycerol esters of wood rosin (E 445)
INS 445(iii) · CAS 8050-30-4