Carbamide

Carbamide is the systematic chemical name for urea, one of the simplest nitrogen-containing organic compounds. In the human body, urea is the principal end product of protein metabolism, synthesised in the liver and excreted in urine. As a food additive in the EU, carbamide (E927b) is approved exclusively for use in chewing gum, where it functions as a softening agent and humectant, helping to maintain the flexible, pliable texture of gum base during extended chewing and storage. It is distinct from E927a (azodicarbonamide), which is banned in the EU.

No JECFA numerical ADI has been assigned for carbamide as a food additive in the chewing gum context. Urea is a normal endogenous metabolite continuously produced and excreted by healthy individuals; the small amount present in chewing gum is metabolically trivial compared with the urea generated internally from dietary protein catabolism.

Carbamide is approved in the EU as E927b for use specifically in chewing gum. Its presence in this narrow food category means that consumer exposure is limited to those who consume chewing gum regularly. It does not confer flavour or sweetness; its role is purely textural. Consumers who read chewing gum ingredient labels may encounter it listed as carbamide or E927b. No adverse effects associated with its presence in chewing gum have been reported. The food additive use of urea is distinct from industrial urea applications (fertiliser, resin production) — food-grade carbamide meets specific purity criteria that exclude impurities relevant to industrial grades.