E999 – Quillaia extract | Saponin safety, side effects and drink uses

Quick analysis summary about E999 – Quillaia extract food additive

Bottom line about E999

E999 is a plant-derived foaming agent that is considered safe at its permitted food-use levels, supporting a GREEN – SAFE grade.

Why this grade for E999

Long-term dietary studies in rats and mice found no carcinogenic effect, while adverse findings appeared mainly at doses far above normal food exposure [1-4].

Who may want to limit or avoid E999

People using concentrated quillaia supplements, children with high beverage intake and those with sensitive digestion may wish to limit repeated high exposure.

Common uses and where E999 appears

E999 helps create and stabilise foam or emulsions in flavoured drinks, cider, perry and selected beverage preparations.

E999 source or origin

E999 is a natural plant extract made from the bark and wood of the South American soapbark tree, Quillaja saponaria.

Intake note for E999

EFSA established an Acceptable Daily Intake of 3 mg quillaia saponins per kg body weight per day. Reported exposure from current authorised uses remained below this level.

Is E999 banned anywhere?

E999 is authorised in the European Union and permitted in the United States under defined conditions. It is also authorised or permitted in Great Britain, Canada, Japan and Australia/New Zealand.

Safety grading GREEN – SAFE

E999 presents a low expected risk at its permitted food-use levels. Its saponins can irritate biological membranes at high concentrations, but oral absorption is limited and available dietary studies provide a wide margin between ordinary food exposure and doses that produced adverse effects.

Study basis or key toxicological reasoning for E999

In a 13-week dietary study, rats received quillaia extract at up to 4% of the diet. The No Observed Adverse Effect Level was about 400 mg/kg body weight per day, while higher doses changed stomach and liver weights without treatment-related tissue damage [1]. In an 84-week mouse study, the No Observed Adverse Effect Level was about 750 mg/kg body weight per day. The highest dose reduced body-weight gain and altered some organ weights, but no carcinogenic effect was found [2]. In a two-year rat study, 1,500 mg/kg body weight per day, the highest dose tested, caused no treatment-related tumours or major systemic toxicity [3]. A separate three-month experiment used 1,200 mg/kg body weight per day of concentrated quillaia saponin by gavage and produced severe toxicity and inflammatory injury [4]. This result is additive-relevant but reflects an extreme bolus dose. Direct reproductive and developmental studies were not identified, controlled human tolerability data are sparse, and older studies did not fully characterise every test material.

Side effects of E999 – Quillaia extract food additive

No expected effect at permitted food levels. Current authorised uses provide exposure well below doses associated with toxicity in feeding studies.
Digestive irritation at high intake. Concentrated saponins can irritate the stomach and intestines, potentially causing nausea, abdominal discomfort or diarrhoea.
Reduced appetite or body-weight gain at very high doses. These findings occurred in animal studies using quantities far above normal dietary exposure [1,2].
Systemic toxicity from extreme concentrated exposure. Severe effects were reported after a very high gavage dose of quillaia saponin, not from ordinary food use [4].
Variable strength between extract types. Type 2 contains much more saponin than Type 1, so the same mass of different products may not represent the same biological exposure.

Should You Avoid E999 – Quillaia extract food additive?

Most consumers do not need to avoid E999 in foods that comply with additive limits. The main practical concern is repeated high exposure from concentrated products rather than occasional consumption of a flavoured drink or cider. People with a sensitive stomach may prefer to reduce products that repeatedly cause discomfort. Concentrated quillaia or saponin supplements should not be treated as equivalent to the small quantities used technologically in food. Parents should also avoid allowing children to consume unusually large quantities of the same additive-containing beverage every day.

Common uses of E999 – Quillaia extract food additive

Flavoured soft drinks. It creates a stable foam and helps disperse oil-based flavour components.
Cider and perry. It may be used to support a persistent foamy head under category-specific limits.
Beverage emulsions. It helps keep citrus oils, colours and other poorly water-soluble ingredients evenly distributed.
Drink concentrates and mixes. It can improve foam formation after dilution or carbonation.
Selected foods outside the EU. Some jurisdictions permit Type 2 as an emulsifier in additional foods or dietary supplements under defined conditions.

Common names and synonyms of E999 – Quillaia extract food additive

Quillaia extract
Quillaja extract
Soapbark extract
Quillay bark extract
Panama bark extract
Quillai extract
E999(i), Quillaia extract Type 1
E999(ii), Quillaia extract Type 2
INS 999

What is E999 – Quillaia extract food additive?

E999 is a complex botanical extract rather than one pure chemical. It is obtained mainly from the bark and wood of Quillaja saponaria, an evergreen tree native to Chile and neighbouring parts of South America. The technologically active components are triterpenoid saponins. These molecules contain water-attracting and oil-attracting regions, allowing them to reduce surface tension, form foam and stabilise emulsions.

Commercial production generally involves extraction with water, followed by filtration, concentration and sometimes spray drying. Further purification can increase the proportion of saponins. JECFA distinguishes Type 1, which usually contains about 20% to 26% saponins on a dried basis, from Type 2, which usually contains about 65% to 90%. The higher concentration does not automatically make Type 2 unsafe, but it means limits and exposure comparisons should be expressed using saponin content rather than only total extract weight.

Because E999 is a plant extract, its composition can also include polyphenols, proteins, carbohydrates and small amounts of naturally occurring minerals. Regulatory specifications are therefore important for controlling saponin concentration, microbiological quality and contaminants. Its natural origin does not by itself establish safety, which is instead assessed from composition, dose and toxicological evidence.

Where is E999 – Quillaia extract food additive allowed (EU vs US)?

In the European Union, E999 is authorised in flavoured drinks and in cider and perry at category-specific maximum levels.

In the United States, quillaia is listed for defined flavouring-related uses, and the FDA has also issued a no-questions response for specified uses of Quillaia extract Type 2.

E999 – Quillaia extract