Food Safety Substance
Propionic acidE280
Propionic acid (E280) is a food additive with PUBLISHED in the EU, GRAS in the US, and data from 9 regulatory sources.
CAS 79-09-4
E280
Indexable evidence set
FDA
GRAS
ADI / TDI
EFSA ADI = 0.03 mg/kg bw/day
Codex
8 row(s)
SOURCE
D1 identity resolution
e number aliases | Food Additives | dsstox identifiers | 9 matched regulatory source group(s)
Substance Identity
Resolved identifiers used to render this food-safety record.
Substance name
Propionic acid
CAS
79-09-4
E-number
E280
DTXSID
DTXSID8025961
PubChem CID
1032
Evidence tier
Indexable evidence set (16)
SOURCE
EU Commission
FDA | Health Canada | Codex Alimentarius
Multi-Jurisdiction Comparison
Side-by-side status rows for the same resolved substance across public food regulators.
| Jurisdiction | Authority | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | EU Commission | PUBLISHED | EU additive listing; Annex II entry |
| Canada | Health Canada | Listed | Preservative |
| Codex | Codex Alimentarius | Listed | Preservative |
SOURCE
EU Commission
EU Food Additives | EU Food Additives Database
EU Food Additive Status
EU Commission food-additive listing rows from eu_food_additives.
| Jurisdiction | E-number | Status | Type | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | E280 | PUBLISHED | substanceFAD | Propionic acid | - |
| European Union | E280 | PUBLISHED | group | Propionic acid - propionates | - |
SOURCE
EU Commission
EU Annex II Authorised | EU Food Additives Database
EU Annex II Authorised Uses
Authorised additive rows and use conditions from EU Annex II tables.
| Jurisdiction | E-number | Name | INS | Policy item | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | E280 | Propionic acid | - | POL-FAD-IMPORT-3067 | - |
| European Union | - | Propionic acid - propionates | - | POL-FAD-IMPORT-3068 | - |
Conditions and restrictions
| Jurisdiction | Food category | Restriction | Comment | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | - | - | - | EU Annex II Union List |
| European Union | - | - | - | EU Food Additives Database |
SOURCE
Codex Alimentarius
Codex GSFA
Codex GSFA Status
Codex Alimentarius GSFA permissions and maximum-use rows.
| Jurisdiction | INS / E-number | Function | Food category | Max level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codex | 280 | Preservative | 01.6.2.1 Ripened cheese, includes rind | GMP | Excluding products conforming to the Standard for Brie (CXS 277-1973).; Excluding products conforming to the Standard for Cheese in Brine (CODEX STAN 208-1999).; Except for use at... |
| Codex | 280 | Preservative | 01.6.6 Whey protein cheese | 3,000 mg/kg | As the acid. |
| Codex | 388 | Antioxidant | 02.1.2 Vegetable oils and fats | 200 mg/kg | As thiodipropionic acid.; Excluding virgin and cold pressed oils in products conforming to the Standard for Edible Fats and Oils not Covered by Individual Standards (CXS 19-1981)... |
| Codex | 388 | Antioxidant | 02.1.3 Lard, tallow, fish oil, and other animal fats | 200 mg/kg | As thiodipropionic acid.; Excluding products conforming to the Standard for Named Animal Fat (CODEX STAN 211- 1999). [Group: THIODIPROPIONATES] |
| Codex | 388 | Antioxidant | 02.2.2 Fat spreads, dairy fat spreads and blended spreads | 200 mg/kg | As thiodipropionic acid.; Excluding products conforming to the Standard for Dairy Fat Spreads (CXS 253-2006). [Group: THIODIPROPIONATES] |
| Codex | 388 | Antioxidant | 09.2.2 Frozen battered fish, fish fillets, and fish products, including mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms | 200 mg/kg | As thiodipropionic acid.; On the fat or oil basis.; Excluding products conforming to the Standard for Quick Frozen Fish Sticks (Fish Fingers), Fish Portions and Fish Fillets –... |
| Codex | 388 | Antioxidant | 14.1.4 Water-based flavoured drinks, including sport, energy, or electrolyte drinks and particulated drinks | 1,000 mg/kg | As thiodipropionic acid.; On the fat or oil basis. [Group: THIODIPROPIONATES] |
| Codex | 388 | Antioxidant | 15.0 Ready-to-eat savouries | 200 mg/kg | As thiodipropionic acid. [Group: THIODIPROPIONATES] |
SOURCE
Health Canada
Health Canada Status
Health Canada food-additive permissions by functional class and food scope.
| Jurisdiction | Class | Permitted foods | Maximum level | List |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Preservative | (a)Bread | (a)If used singly, the amount not to exceed 2,000 ppm. If used in combination with calcium propionate or sodium propionate, or both, the total combined amount not to exceed 2,000 ppm, calculated as propionic acid. | List of Permitted Preservatives |
| Canada | Preservative | (b)Cheddar cheese; (Naming the variety) cheese; Cold-pack cheese food; Cold-pack cheese food with (naming the added ingredients); Cold-pack (naming the variety) cheese; Cold-pack (naming the variety) cheese with (naming... | (b)If used singly, the amount not to exceed 2,000 ppm. If used in combination with calcium propionate or sodium propionate, or both, the total combined amount not to exceed 2,000 ppm, calculated as propionic acid. If used in any combination with calcium propionate, sodium propionate, calcium sorbate, potassium sorbate, sodium sorbate or sorbic acid, the total combined amount not to exceed 3,000 ppm, calculated as propionic acid and sorbic acid, respectively, provided that the amount of propionic acid does not exceed 2,000 ppm. | List of Permitted Preservatives |
| Canada | Preservative | (c)Ready-to-eat prepared meat or ready-to-eat prepared meat by-product; Ready-to-eat prepared poultry meat or ready-to-eat prepared poultry meat by-product; Ready-to-eat preserved meat or ready-to-eat preserved meat... | (c)If used singly, the amount not to exceed 2,500 ppm. If used in combination with sodium propionate, the total combined amount not to exceed 2,500 ppm, calculated as propionic acid. | List of Permitted Preservatives |
| Canada | Preservative | (d)Unstandardized foods, except unstandardized preparations of meat or meat by-product, fish or meat (as defined in section B.21.002 of the *Food and Drug Regulations*) or poultry meat or poultry meat by-product | (d)If used singly, the amount not to exceed 2,000 ppm. If used in combination with calcium propionate or sodium propionate, or both, the total combined amount not to exceed 2,000 ppm, calculated as propionic acid. | List of Permitted Preservatives |
SOURCE
EU Commission
EU Food Contact Materials
EU FCM Substances
EU food-contact material rows and migration-limit fields.
| Jurisdiction | FCM no. | Ref no. | Substance | Use | SML | Regulation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | 51 | 56570 | glycerol, esters with propionic acid | additive/PPA | - | Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, Annex I |
| European Union | 146 | 23890 | propionic acid | additive/PPA, monomer/macromolecule | - | Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, Annex I |
| European Union | 211 | 23920 | propionic acid, vinyl ester | monomer/macromolecule | - | Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, Annex I |
| European Union | 294 | 93120 | thiodipropionic acid, didodecyl ester | additive/PPA | - | Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, Annex I |
| European Union | 368 | 93280 | thiodipropionic acid, dioctadecyl ester | additive/PPA | - | Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, Annex I |
| European Union | 484 | 13395 | 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid | monomer/macromolecule | 0,05 mg/kg | Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, Annex I |
| European Union | 894 | 93360 | thiodipropionic acid, ditetradecyl ester | additive/PPA | - | Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, Annex I |
SOURCE
JECFA
JECFA ADI
JECFA ADI Values
JECFA ADI records and evaluation years.
| Jurisdiction | Chemical name | JECFA no. | CAS | ADI | ADI upper | Function | Evaluation year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JECFA | 3-ACETYLPROPIONIC ACID | - | - | no_data | - | - | 2023 |
| JECFA | THIODIPROPIONIC ACID | - | 111-17-1 | 0-3 mg/kg bw | 3 | ANTIOXIDANT | 1973 |
| JECFA | beta-ACETYLPROPIONIC ACID | - | - | no_data | - | - | 2023 |
| JECFA | 2-KETOPROPIONIC ACID | - | - | no_data | - | - | 2001 |
| JECFA | 2-BUTYLPROPIONIC ACID | - | - | no_data | - | - | 1997 |
| JECFA | 2-MERCAPTOPROPIONIC ACID | 551 | - | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | - | FLAVOURING_AGENT | 1999 |
| JECFA | beta-PHENYLPROPIONIC ACID | - | - | no_data | - | - | 2000 |
| JECFA | 2-THIOLPROPIONIC ACID | - | - | no_data | - | - | 1999 |
| JECFA | PROPIONIC ACID, THIOALLYL ESTER | - | - | no_data | - | - | 1999 |
| JECFA | 2-(4-METHYL-2-HYDROXYPHENYL)PROPIONIC ACID gamma-LACTONE | 1167 | - | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | - | FLAVOURING_AGENT | 2008 |
| JECFA | PROPIONIC ACID | 84 | 79-09-4 | NOT LIMITED (1973) | - | FLAVOURING_AGENT, PRESERVATIVE | 1997 |
| JECFA | 3-HYDROXY-2-OXOPROPIONIC ACID | 635 | - | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | - | FLAVOURING_AGENT | 1999 |
| JECFA | 3-PHENYLPROPIONIC ACID | 646 | - | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | - | FLAVOURING_AGENT | 2000 |
| JECFA | 2-OXO-3-PHENYLPROPIONIC ACID | 1478 | - | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | - | FLAVOURING_AGENT | 2008 |
| JECFA | 3-MERCAPTOPROPIONIC ACID | 1936 | 107-96-0 | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | - | FLAVOURING_AGENT | 2010 |
| JECFA | 2-(2-HYDROXY-4-METHYL-3- CYCLOHEXENYL)PROPIONIC ACID GAMMALACTONE | 2223 | - | No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent | - | FLAVOURING_AGENT, Flavouring Agent | 2016 |
SOURCE
ingredients
ghs classifications
Cross-Reference to Cosmetics / Chemicals / Pharma
Same-CAS public rows from adjacent Roots verticals where available.
SOURCE
Cross-vertical comparison
ingredients | ghs classifications
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
This substance has different regulatory treatment across food, cosmetics, and industrial use.
SOURCE
FAQPage JSON-LD
public food renderer rows
Frequently Asked Questions
Food-use, safety, ADI, and cross-vertical answers mirrored into FAQPage JSON-LD.
What is Propionic acid used for in food?
Propionic acid appears in food-use rows as: Preservative; Preservative; Preservative.
Is Propionic acid / E280 safe?
This page does not assign a standalone safety verdict; it renders public regulatory evidence. ADI/reference value: EFSA ADI = 0.03 mg/kg bw/day. EU status evidence: PUBLISHED. US/FDA evidence: GRAS.
What is the ADI for Propionic acid?
Propionic acid has this ADI/reference value in the food-safety tables: EFSA ADI = 0.03 mg/kg bw/day. Source: EFSA 2016.
Is Propionic acid also used in cosmetics?
Propionic acid has a same-CAS cosmetics cross-reference: Propionic Acid, EU status permitted.