Additives
Tannins (E181): What It Is and Is It Safe?
Safe
Colour · Natural colour
Tannins are naturally occurring plant polyphenols, such as tannic acid from oak galls, used as a light-brown colour, astringent flavour and clarifying agent. They occur widely in tea, wine and many plant foods and are considered safe at food-additive levels. Very high isolated intakes can modestly reduce non-haem iron absorption.
- Category
- Colour — Natural colour
- Typically used in
- Wine, beer, soft drinks and as a clarifying and flavouring agent.
- Regulatory status
- Permitted food additive and processing aid with a long history of dietary use.
Scrannr flags Tannins automatically when you scan a barcode.
Products
Products containing Tannins
We're building product pages that show real UK products containing Tannins, using Open Food Facts data. They'll appear here soon — in the meantime, scan any barcode with the Scrannr app to check for it instantly.
Let Scrannr read the label.
Scan a barcode and get the additives flagged in plain English, plus a clear health score. Free to download.