INS 466 is sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, often shortened to CMC or sold as cellulose gum, and numbered E466 in Europe. It starts as ordinary cellulose from wood pulp or cotton linters, which is treated with alkali and chloroacetic acid. This change turns insoluble cellulose into a gum that dissolves readily in water.
Codex lists it as a bulking agent, emulsifier, firming agent, gelling agent, glazing agent, humectant, stabilizer and thickener. In practice it is used to thicken, to bind water and to control texture: it slows moisture loss, keeps ice crystals small in frozen desserts and stops ingredients from separating.
Unlike powdered cellulose (INS 460 (ii)), which stays as insoluble fibre particles, CMC dissolves into a smooth, viscous solution. On SeekSnack it is listed in Cororo Grape Jelly, one of several gums and gelling agents that together shape the sweet’s soft, chewy texture.
