Isomalt (E953): What the Sources Found

Isomalt is the sweetener the food industry lists as E953. In our table it is moderate risk: it takes 15 of the 33 additive points off a product's score for a child.

In short

Moderate risk. 15 of the 33 additive points come off a product that carries it.
No child flag. Nothing below is written about children specifically, so the class is the same at every age.
2 citations from EFSA, each one below.

What Isomalt does to a score

A packaged food starts with 33 points for what is in its ingredient list. Isomalt takes 15 of the 33 additive points off a product's score. Scan the pack in Sito and the score you get is the one for your own child's age, with this additive named in the reasons. How we score has the whole method.

What the sources found

Every classification in our table comes from the citations below, and nothing else. They are quoted as the source wrote them.

EFSA Call for data on genotoxicity data on sweeteners, 2021-06-30 (efsa.europa.eu/en/call/call-data-genotoxicity-data-sweeteners)
Isomalt (E 953) is named among the sweeteners for which additional genotoxicity information was identified as needed — basic battery: bacterial reverse mutation (OECD TG 471) and in vitro micronucleus (OECD TG 487).
EFSA Europe PMC query of EFSA Journal for polyol re-evaluation opinions (executed 2026-08-10)
No EFSA re-evaluation opinion for isomalt exists; erythritol (E 968) remains the only completed polyol re-evaluation, so isomalt's EU status is still the pre-2009 SCF acceptance with no numerical ADI.

Why this class

IARC Group 2B; or an EFSA re-evaluation that flagged genotoxicity data gaps, found safety could not be assessed on the available data, or cut the ADI citing child exposure; or an EU harmonised classification of the substance as a reproductive or developmental hazard; or an EU withdrawal of one authorised food use while others remain; or an OEHHA/Proposition 65 listing; or membership of the Southampton-six colourants.

Our confidence in this row's classification is medium. Medium or low does not mean the evidence is weak; it means something about the row is still being pinned down, usually a regulatory status confirmed from one source rather than two.