Food Safety Substance
Potassium carbonatesE501
Potassium carbonates (E501) is a food additive with PUBLISHED in the EU, GRAS in the US, and data from 6 regulatory sources.
Substance Identity
Resolved identifiers used to render this food-safety record.
EU Food Additive Status
EU Commission food-additive listing rows from eu_food_additives.
| Jurisdiction | E-number | Status | Type | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | E501 | PUBLISHED | substanceFAD | Potassium carbonate | - |
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 | E501 | Potassium carbonate | - | POL-FAD-IMPORT-3202 | - |
Conditions and restrictions
| Jurisdiction | Food category | Restriction | Comment | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | 9.1.2 Unprocessed molluscs and crustaceans | quantum satis | only frozen and deep-frozen cephalopods’ | EU Annex II Union List |
| European Union | 11.4.1 table-top sweeteners in liquid form | quantum satis | - | EU Annex II Union List |
| European Union | 11.4.2 table-top sweeteners in powder form | quantum satis | - | EU Annex II Union List |
| European Union | 11.4.3 table-top sweeteners in tablets | quantum satis | - | EU Annex II Union List |
| European Union | 13.1.3 Processed cereal-based foods and baby foods as defined by Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 | quantum satis | only as rising agent | EU Annex II Union List |
| European Union | - | quantum satis | only as rising agent | EU Annex II Union List |
| European Union | 11.4.1 table-top sweeteners in liquid form | quantum satis | - | EU Food Additives Database |
| European Union | 11.4.2 table-top sweeteners in powder form | quantum satis | - | EU Food Additives Database |
| European Union | 11.4.3 table-top sweeteners in tablets | quantum satis | - | EU Food Additives Database |
| European Union | 13.1.3 Processed cereal-based foods and baby foods as defined by Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 | quantum satis | only as rising agent | EU Food Additives Database |
| European Union | - | quantum satis | only as rising agent | EU Food Additives Database |
| European Union | 4.1.2 peeled cut and shredded fruit and vegetables | quantum satis | only prepacked refrigerated unprocessed fruit and vegetables ready for consumption and prepacked unprocessed and peeled potatoes | EU Food Additives Database |
| European Union | 9.1.2 Unprocessed molluscs and crustaceans | quantum satis | only frozen and deep-frozen cephalopods’ | EU Food Additives Database |
| European Union | 1.9 Edible caseinates | quantum satis | - | EU Food Additives Database |
| European Union | 1.10 Milk-based drinks and similar products intended for young children* | quantum satis | - | EU Food Additives Database |
EU FCM Substances
EU food-contact material rows and migration-limit fields.
| Jurisdiction | FCM no. | Ref no. | Substance | Use | SML | Regulation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | - | - | potassium carbonate | - | - | Regulation (EC) No 450/2009, Register v1.1 |
JECFA ADI Values
JECFA ADI records and evaluation years.
| Jurisdiction | Chemical name | JECFA no. | CAS | ADI | ADI upper | Function | Evaluation year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JECFA | POTASSIUM CARBONATE | - | 584-08-7 | NOT LIMITED | - | ACIDITY_REGULATOR | 1965 |
Cross-Reference to Cosmetics / Chemicals / Pharma
Same-CAS public rows from adjacent Roots verticals where available.
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
This substance has different regulatory treatment across food, cosmetics, and industrial use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Food-use, safety, ADI, and cross-vertical answers mirrored into FAQPage JSON-LD.
What is Potassium carbonates used for in food?
Potassium carbonates appears in food-use rows as: Acidity regulator/Antioxidant.
Is Potassium carbonates / E501 safe?
This page does not assign a standalone safety verdict; it renders public regulatory evidence. ADI/reference value: ADI NOT LIMITED mg/kg bw. EU status evidence: PUBLISHED. US/FDA evidence: GRAS.
What is the ADI for Potassium carbonates?
Potassium carbonates has this ADI/reference value in the food-safety tables: ADI NOT LIMITED mg/kg bw. Source: WHO JECFA.
Is Potassium carbonates also used in cosmetics?
Potassium carbonates has a same-CAS cosmetics cross-reference: Potassium Carbonate, EU status permitted.