Food additive and E-number check
Know what's in it before it's in your basket.
Search any E-number or additive name and see what it is, where it comes from, and whether it fits a vegan, vegetarian, halal or kosher diet, with an honest "depends" when the source isn't on the label.
Facts from official sources, never a health score
- Works offline
- No sign-in
- Seven languages
Honest answers
When the label doesn't say whether an additive came from a plant or an animal, Additiva says "depends" instead of guessing.
No health scores
It tells you what an additive is and where it comes from. It never rates food as good or bad.
Fully offline
The whole additive database is in the app, so search works in a basement supermarket with no signal.
One card per additive
Yes, No, or Depends. And why.
Many additives can be made from plants, animals or by fermentation, and the label rarely says which. Instead of guessing, Additiva tells you when an answer depends on the source, and says why in one line.
- Yes
- Yes. The source material can satisfy this diet.
- No
- No. It cannot, and a halal or kosher No is always backed by a named authority.
- Depends
- Depends. It comes down to the source or the certifier. The card says which, and why.
E913
Not an EU additive
Lanolin (wool wax)
Made from: Sheep's wool (an animal product)
- Vegan No
- Vegetarian Yes
- Halal Depends
- Kosher Depends
Halal and kosher: taken from sheep's wool, and acceptance varies by certifier. Where it is accepted as kosher, it is pareve.
Trace amounts and cross-contamination are not covered. The package label is always the final word.
How it works
Two seconds at the shelf
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Type a code or a name
E621, INS 330, carrageenan or "lecithin": search matches codes, common names and the names printed on labels, in seven languages.
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Read the card
What it does, what it is made from, the four diet answers, the regulated allergens, and the sources behind each fact.
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Check the package
Additiva decodes the ingredient list. The label and the manufacturer have the last word on how a product was made.
What's inside
A decoder, not a judge
Every EU E-number
Every E-number authorised in the EU, plus codes you may meet on imported food that the EU does not allow, marked as such.
Sources on every card
Built from the EU food additives database and EU specifications, EFSA opinions and the Codex INS list, with a link to each source.
Halal and kosher, attributed
Religious answers name the authority behind them, such as MUI, JAKIM or the OU, and say when certifiers disagree. Kosher answers note dairy, meat or pareve.
Regulated allergens
Tags follow the EU's 14 and the US's 9 major allergens, with a standing reminder that traces are not covered.
Label scanning (Premium)
Point the camera at an ingredient list and see every additive found on it. On Android, scanning spots additives on labels in the Latin alphabet.
Seven languages
English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Russian, including the additive names as they are printed on labels.
Privacy
What you look up stays on your phone
- Searches and scans never leave the device. There is no Additiva server.
- Label photos and camera frames are read on the phone and never uploaded.
- No sign-in, no account, no email address.
- Ads in the free version appear only after the consent choices your region requires, and the app never reads your advertising ID.
Free and Premium
The whole decoder is free
Every additive, every diet answer and every source is in the free version. Premium adds label scanning and removes the ads.
Free
Free
With a small banner ad
The complete decoder, with nothing held back.
- Every additive and E-number
- Vegan, vegetarian, halal and kosher answers
- Allergen tags and sources
- Works offline
Premium
Premium
Monthly, yearly or a one-time lifetime purchase
For people who read labels every time they shop.
- Everything in Free
- Label scanning with the camera or a photo
- No ads
- Family Sharing on the App Store
Prices are shown in your currency in the App Store or Google Play before you buy. The yearly plan starts with a free trial, and the lifetime purchase never renews.
FAQ
Questions
Does Additiva tell me whether an additive is safe or healthy?
No. It describes what an additive is, what it does and what it can be made from, using official sources. It never rates an additive or a food as good or bad.
Why do so many answers say "Depends"?
Because many additives really can be made from plants, animals or by fermentation, and the ingredient list rarely says which. A confident Yes would be a guess. The card tells you what it depends on, so you know what to ask the manufacturer.
Who decides whether something is halal or kosher?
Not us. Additiva shows the published positions of named authorities, such as MUI, JAKIM or the Orthodox Union, and says when they disagree. Your own certifier or religious authority has the final word.
Can I rely on it for a food allergy?
Use it as a guide, not as the final check. Allergen tags follow the EU and US lists of major allergens, but they cannot cover traces or cross-contamination. Always read the package label.
Does it work without internet?
Yes. The additive database ships inside the app, so search and every card work offline. Only ads, purchases, and anonymous usage and crash reports use the network.
What does scanning read?
On iPhone, scanning reads E-numbers and additive names on a label. On Android, it spots additives on labels printed in the Latin alphabet and misses more of them on Cyrillic labels. Anything a scan misses is one search away.
When can I get it?
Additiva is coming soon to the App Store and Google Play, for iPhone and Android.