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INS 466 · Thickener

INS 466 is the code for sodium carboxymethyl cellulose

Modified plant fibre that thickens and stops ice crystals. Very common in ice cream, sauces and bakery cream.

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What it does
Thickens it A thickener
Also printed as
CMC · Cellulose gum
Vegetarian?
Vegetarian From plants
In the Zabel score
2 of the 20 additive points Method 1.0.0
In our catalogue
143 packs List it in their ingredients
Vegetarian or not

Is INS 466 vegetarian?

INS 466 is from plants, so it does not by itself make a food non-vegetarian. The green or brown mark on the pack is still the declaration to go by, because it covers every other ingredient too.

Counted from the 143 packs in Zabel's catalogue that list INS 466, 124 of which have a food category so far. Counted 4 Nov 2026.

What the evidence says

What does the evidence say about INS 466?

We grade an additive by the evidence about it, not by whether it sounds like a chemical, and we make no claim about whether a pack complies with FSSAI rules.

JECFA has identified no concern at food levels. Some research on emulsifier-type additives and the gut microbiome names CMC specifically; the studies are small and early and no regulator has changed its position on that basis.

Does Zabel mark INS 466 down?

Yes, by 2 points. The additives part of the score starts at 20, and each code takes off a fixed amount set by the strength of the evidence about it, not by the fact that it is an additive (method 1.0.0). Read the method.

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Questions people search

What is INS 466?

INS 466 is the code for sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, a thickener. Modified plant fibre that thickens and stops ice crystals. Very common in ice cream, sauces and bakery cream.

Is INS 466 vegetarian?

INS 466 is from plants, so it does not by itself make a food non-vegetarian. The green or brown mark on the pack is still the declaration to go by, because it covers every other ingredient too.

What does the evidence say about INS 466?

JECFA has identified no concern at food levels. Some research on emulsifier-type additives and the gut microbiome names CMC specifically; the studies are small and early and no regulator has changed its position on that basis.

Does Zabel mark INS 466 down?

Yes, by 2 points. The additives part of the score starts at 20, and each code takes off a fixed amount set by the strength of the evidence about it, not by the fact that it is an additive (method 1.0.0).

What other names is INS 466 printed under?

Packs also print it as CMC and Cellulose gum, or as the bare number 466 in brackets after the ingredient.

Sources

  1. 01 Evaluations of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) WHO / FAO, 2024
  2. 02 Zabel catalogue - pack counts, food categories and the codes printed alongside 4 Nov 2026

Entry updated 19 Sep 2026 · Not reviewed by a dietitian yet · Report an error on this page

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