Sorbitol (E420): What the Sources Found

Sorbitol is the sweetener the food industry lists as E420. 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.
3 citations from EFSA, FDA, each one below.

What Sorbitol does to a score

A packaged food starts with 33 points for what is in its ingredient list. Sorbitol 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 sorbitol (E 420 i), published 2023-06-26, deadline 2024-01-03 (efsa.europa.eu/en/call/call-data-genotoxicity-data-sorbitol-e-420-i)
EFSA identified a genotoxicity data gap for sorbitol — the lack of a fully reliable in vitro micronucleus test to current OECD guidance — and requested new data to complete the safety assessment; the re-evaluation opinion has not been published.
FDA 21 CFR 184.1835 (govinfo CFR-2024-title21-vol3-sec184-1835)
Sorbitol is affirmed GRAS in the US with use limits by food category (e.g. 99% hard candy, 12% other foods) and a mandatory label statement 'Excess consumption may have a laxative effect' where foreseeable daily intake exceeds 50 g.
EFSA Europe PMC query of EFSA Journal for re-evaluation opinions on E 420/421/953/965/967 (executed 2026-08-10)
No EFSA re-evaluation opinion exists for sorbitol as of this date — erythritol (E 968) is the only polyol whose re-evaluation is complete; sorbitol's EU status still rests on 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.