Humectant

Humectant is one of the markers Open Food Facts uses to classify a food as ultra-processed (NOVA group 4).

What it is and why it counts

Humectants are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium.

Cosmetic additives

NOVA calls these additives "cosmetic": they change how a product looks, feels or tastes rather than keeping it safe to eat. Their presence is one of the two defining signs of an ultra-processed food.

Function

Humectant: Humectants are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium.

Functional class definitions from the EU food additives regulation, via Open Food Facts.

More about humectant on Wikidata

Where it turns up

Humectant appears in 533 of the 40,000 products on this site (1%).

Wheat flatbreads 43 of 149 products
Protein bars 36 of 426 products
Cakes 33 of 377 products
Cereal bars 30 of 487 products
Sugar-free chewing gum 20 of 76 products
Biscuits 18 of 1,514 products

Products containing humectant

Showing the 60 most popular of 533.

How the NOVA classification works