Food Safety Substance
L-CysteineE920
L-Cysteine (E920) is a food additive with PUBLISHED in the EU, GRAS in the US, and data from 7 regulatory sources.
Substance Identity
Resolved identifiers used to render this food-safety record.
Multi-Jurisdiction Comparison
Side-by-side status rows for the same resolved substance across public food regulators.
| Jurisdiction | Authority | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | EU Commission | PUBLISHED | EU additive listing; Annex II entry |
| Canada | Health Canada | Listed | Flour treatment agent |
EU Food Additive Status
EU Commission food-additive listing rows from eu_food_additives.
| Jurisdiction | E-number | Status | Type | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | E920 | PUBLISHED | substanceFAD | L-cysteine | - |
EU Annex II Authorised Uses
Authorised additive rows and use conditions from EU Annex II tables.
| Jurisdiction | E-number | Name | INS | Policy item | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | E920 | L-cysteine | - | POL-FAD-IMPORT-3281 | - |
Conditions and restrictions
| Jurisdiction | Food category | Restriction | Comment | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | 6.2.1 flours | quantum satis | - | Regulatory source |
| European Union | 13.1.3 Processed cereal-based foods and baby foods as defined by Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 | ML 1000 mg/kg | only biscuits for infants and young children | Regulatory source |
| European Union | 6.2.1 flours | quantum satis | - | Regulatory source |
| European Union | 13.1.3 Processed cereal-based foods and baby foods as defined by Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 | ML 1000 mg/kg | only biscuits for infants and young children | Regulatory source |
Health Canada Status
Health Canada food-additive permissions by functional class and food scope.
| Jurisdiction | Class | Permitted foods | Maximum level | List |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Flour treatment agent | (a) Bread | - | List of Permitted Flour Treatment Agents |
| Canada | Preservative | Nutritional supplements that meet the requirements of section B.24.201 of the *Food and Drug Regulations* | Good Manufacturing Practice | List of Permitted Preservatives |
| Canada | Preservative | Sulphite replacement formulations for prepared fruits and vegetables | Good Manufacturing Practice | List of Permitted Preservatives |
JECFA ADI Values
JECFA ADI records and evaluation years.
| Jurisdiction | Chemical name | JECFA no. | CAS | ADI | ADI upper | Function | Evaluation year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JECFA | L-CYSTEINE | 1419 | - | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | - | FLAVOURING_AGENT | 2004 |
| JECFA | S-ALLYL-L-CYSTEINE | 1710 | - | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | - | FLAVOURING_AGENT | 2007 |
| JECFA | L-CYSTEINE METHYL ESTER HYDROCHLORIDE | 2270 | 18598-63-5 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | - | FLAVOURING_AGENT, Flavouring Agent | 2020 |
Cross-Reference to Cosmetics / Chemicals / Pharma
Same-CAS public rows from adjacent Roots verticals where available.
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
This substance has different regulatory treatment across food, cosmetics, and industrial use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Food-use, safety, ADI, and cross-vertical answers mirrored into FAQPage JSON-LD.
What is L-Cysteine used for in food?
L-Cysteine appears in food-use rows as: Antioxidant/Dough conditioner; Flour treatment agent.
Is L-Cysteine / E920 safe?
This page does not assign a standalone safety verdict; it renders public regulatory evidence. ADI/reference value: ADI No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent . EU status evidence: PUBLISHED. US/FDA evidence: GRAS.
What is the ADI for L-Cysteine?
L-Cysteine has this ADI/reference value in the food-safety tables: ADI No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent . Source: food substances.
Is L-Cysteine also used in cosmetics?
L-Cysteine has a same-CAS cosmetics cross-reference: L-Cysteine, EU status permitted.