INS 1400 is dextrin, sometimes called roasted starch or British gum. It is a thickener and bulking agent made by partially breaking down corn, tapioca, or potato starch with heat or acid. On Indian packs it shows up wherever a recipe needs a smoother body or a sticky-but-light texture. It is generally vegan and is permitted by FSSAI for specified food categories.
INS 1400 is dextrin, sometimes called roasted starch or British gum. It is a thickener and bulking agent made by partially breaking down corn, tapioca, or potato starch with heat or acid. On Indian packs it shows up wherever a recipe needs a smoother body or a sticky-but-light texture.
Brands use it because a small amount thickens sauces, helps masala stick to chips, and lets powdered drink mixes dissolve evenly. Dextrins also carry flavour and colour through a product, which is why you see them in instant soup powders and seasoning blends.
INS 1400 commonly shows up on Indian packets in these categories:
Food-grade dextrins are produced from plant starches (corn, tapioca, potato, wheat). No animal product is used in their manufacture.
FSSAI: Permitted by FSSAI under Schedule I of the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 as a thickener, stabiliser, and bulking agent for specified food categories with category-specific limits.
JECFA: Group ADI 'not specified' for modified starches as a class. 'Not specified' is JECFA's safest classification: total dietary intake at typical use levels is not considered a hazard. Modified starches are not absorbed intact in the human gut; they are hydrolysed and fermented like ordinary starch.
On packets, in recipes, and in conversation, INS 1400 is also called:
Last verified: 2026-04-30.