Disodium 5'-ribonucleotides is a chemical compound that is produced by enzymatic hydrolysis of RNA by 5′-phosphodiesterase from yeast. Ribonucleotides are substances normally present in all human tissues.

What it is used for and where

Food

Ingredient included in the list of European food additives as E635 with the function of a flavour enhancer, i.e. to artificially increase the taste of a product. It is mainly included in products containing monosodium glutamate.

EFSA's Food Additives Panel considered that, in the absence of information on the microbial strains or substrates used to produce the additives, and with little information on the production process, it is not possible to determine whether the production process introduces safety concerns (1).

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1) EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP), 2014. Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of disodium 5′‐ribonucleotides, disodium 5′‐guanylate, disodium 5′‐inosinate for all animal species and categories. EFSA Journal, 12(3), p.3606.

Discrimination of Umami Tastants Using Floating Electrode-Based Bioelectronic Tongue Mimicking Insect Taste Systems.
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Behavioral taste similarities and differences among monosodium L-glutamate and glutamate receptor agonists in C57BL mice.
Nakashima K, Katsukawa H, Sasamoto K, Ninomiya Y.
J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2001 Apr;47(2):161-6.

Long-term feeding study on disodium 5-ribonucleotide in dogs.
Worden AN, Rivett KF, Edwards DB, Street AE, Newman AJ.
Toxicology. 1975;3(3):341-7.

Safety evaluation of disodium 5'-inosinate, disodium 5'-guanylate and disodium 5'-ribonucleotide.
Kojima K.
Toxicology. 1974 Jun;2(2):185-206.

Comparison of potentiating effect on gustatory response by disodium 2-methyl mercapto-5'-inosinate with that by 5'-IMP.
Sato M, Ogawa H, Yamashita S.
Jpn J Physiol. 1971 Dec;21(6):669-79.

Water of crystallization in disodium 5'-inosinate and disodium 5'-guanylate and their mixed crystal formation.
Kamio H, Nakamachi H.
Yakugaku Zasshi. 1967 Dec;87(12):1436-41.