Food additive databaseCreates texture and shapeChecked 2026-09-27
Acidulant (acidity regulator) 酸味料
Food additiveGroup nameLabeled differently abroadUsed in 10 products on this site
- Purpose
- adds sourness, adjusts taste
- On the label
- “酸味料” (acidulant), “酸味料（クエン酸等）” (acidulant (citric acid, etc.))
Flagged additives are marked when you use the Ingredient Checker (choose others).
In Japan
- When the 24 designated items (including citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, glacial acetic acid, and phosphoric acid) and existing food additives such as phytic acid are used to add sourness, they can be written as just “酸味料” (acidulant), no matter how many are used (a group name).
- Even the same citric acid is written as “pH調整剤” (pH adjuster) if it is used to adjust pH. How it is written depends on the purpose of use.
- You may add the contents, as in “酸味料（クエン酸等）” (acidulant (citric acid, etc.)), but they must be written in descending order by weight, and you must not write it as if only one was used when others are also used (Food Labeling Standards Q&A, Processing-79).
- On this site, the product “創味シャンタン やわらかタイプ” (Sohmi Shantan soft type, a seasoning paste) is labeled with just “酸味料” (acidulant), so the contents are unknown.
Under stricter rules abroad
Category: Labeled differently abroad
- In the EU, a label with only the purpose name is not allowed. After the category name “acid,” the substance name or E number is written, such as citric acid (E330), lactic acid (E270), or malic acid (E296).
Substances labeled this way
- Adipic Acid
- Citric Acid
- Gluconic Acid
- Succinic Acid
- DL-Tartaric Acid (dl-Tartaric Acid)
- L-Tartaric Acid (d-Tartaric Acid)
- Disodium DL-Tartrate (Disodium dl-Tartrate)
- Disodium L-Tartrate (Disodium d-Tartrate)
- Lactic Acid
- Glacial Acetic Acid
- Fumaric Acid
- Monosodium Fumarate (Sodium Fumarate)
- DL-Malic Acid (dl-Malic Acid)
- Sodium DL-Malate (Sodium dl-Malate)
- Phosphoric Acid
- Phytic Acid
Products on this site that contain it
| Product | As written on the label |
|---|---|
| 「Cook Do®」回鍋肉用 90g味の素 | 酸味料 |
| 「味の素KKコンソメ」固形21個入箱味の素 | 酸味料 |
| ジャワカレー 中辛ハウス食品 | 酸味料 |
| こくまろカレー 中辛ハウス食品 | 酸味料 |
| シチューミクス クリーム 170gハウス食品 | 酸味料 |
| バーモントカレー 中辛ハウス食品 | 酸味料 |
| 味ぽん 360mlミツカン | 酸味料 |
| 日清デカうま 油そば日清食品 | 酸味料 |
| ゴールデンカレー 中辛エスビー食品 | 酸味料 |
| 創味シャンタン やわらかタイプ創味食品 | 酸味料 |
Product pages are in Japanese for now; each one reads every ingredient on the label.
Related pages
Sources
- Food Labeling Standards (Cabinet Office Ordinance No. 10 of 2015) (Japanese)
- EU Regulation 1169/2011 (EUR-Lex)
Last checked 2026-09-27. Rules change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.
The categories are not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies.