Additives
L-Cysteine (E920): What It Is and Is It Safe?
Limited risk
Flour Treatment Agent
Amino acid used to soften dough. Often derived from duck/chicken feathers, pig hair, or human hair. Plant-based versions exist but are less common. Not suitable for vegans or vegetarians unless confirmed synthetic.
- Category
- Flour Treatment Agent
- Typically used in
- Bread, rolls, pizza dough, crackers
- Regulatory status
- Approved EU/USA/UK. Often not vegan.
- Concerns flagged
-
Liver effects
Sources
Where this comes from
- EFSA (2010) — Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of L-cysteine -E 920- as a food additive https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1634
Products
Products containing L-Cysteine
We're building product pages that show real UK products containing L-Cysteine, 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.