Talc (E553b)
- Food Caution
What is Talc (E553b)?
Talc (E553b) is a soft mineral used to dust sweets, coat tablets and stop foods sticking. Very little is absorbed, and no harm from eating purified talc has been shown. The caution is because EU experts couldn't finish a safety assessment: key long-term studies and details about the particles are missing.
What is Yasno’s verdict on Talc?
Yasno’s verdict on Talc: Caution. Some evidence of a concern, it depends on the amount, or it is genuinely worth knowing. A Caution always has a specific, sourced reason.
Is Talc allowed in the EU?
EU status of Talc: Permitted as a food additive. Conditions and limits come from the regulation cited below. Yasno summarises them and does not replace the legal text.
| Where | EU | US |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Permitted as a food additive | Generally Recognised as Safe (GRAS, a US regulatory category) |
What else is it called?
- STERITALC
- Huashifen
- Pulvis talci
- Talc powder
- 7SEV7J4R1U
Sources
- EU Food Additives Register — POL-FAD-IMPORT-3237, European Commission (DG SANTE), 2012
- Re-evaluation of talc (E 553b) as a food additive, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), 2018
Always check the physical label. Yasno describes evidence and regulatory status. It never says a product is free of an allergen or safe for you, and it is not medical advice.
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