INS 631 is disodium inosinate, a flavour booster that makes salty snacks taste more savoury and intense. It is often paired with MSG (INS 621), so if you see both numbers on a chips or instant noodles pack they are usually doing the same 'extra tasty' job together. Veg status depends on the source the manufacturer uses and is permitted by FSSAI for specified food categories.
INS 631 is disodium inosinate, a flavour booster that makes salty snacks taste more savoury and intense. It is often paired with MSG (INS 621), so if you see both numbers on a chips or instant noodles pack they are usually doing the same 'extra tasty' job together.
Brands use it because a tiny amount can make masala, cheese, and meaty flavours feel stronger without adding much of the actual flavour ingredient. Combined with MSG it works at roughly one-tenth the dose, which is why you see the pair on most savoury Indian snack labels.
INS 631 commonly shows up on Indian packets in these categories:
Disodium inosinate is most commonly produced from fish (sardines, anchovies, bonito) but can also come from yeast or bacterial fermentation. The pack alone does not say which source the manufacturer used, so strict vegetarians often avoid it unless the brand confirms a non-animal source. The Indian veg/non-veg dot logo on the package is your safest signal: a green dot means the brand has declared the source is non-animal.
FSSAI: Permitted by FSSAI under Schedule I of the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 as a flavour enhancer for specified food categories with category-specific upper limits.
JECFA: Group ADI 'not specified' for inosinic acid and its sodium, potassium, and calcium salts (covering INS 627, 630, 631, 633, 635). First assessed by JECFA in 1974, retained at 'not specified' in 1993. JECFA noted naturally occurring nucleotides in the diet (around 2 g per person per day) far exceed the typical use level as a flavour enhancer (around 4 mg per person per day).
On packets, in recipes, and in conversation, INS 631 is also called:
Last verified: 2026-04-29.