Food additive databaseleavening agentChecked 2026-10-02
Aluminum Ammonium Sulfate (Crystal: Ammonium Alum, Dried: Burnt Ammonium Alum) 硫酸アルミニウムアンモニウム（結晶物の場合にあっては別名アンモニウムミョウバン、乾燥物の場合にあっては別名焼アンモニウムミョウバン）
Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E523)
- Purpose
- leavening agent
- On the label
- “膨張剤” (leavening agent), “ベーキングパウダー” (baking powder), “アンモニウムミョウバン” (ammonium alum), “焼アンモニウムミョウバン” (burnt ammonium alum)
- Name in the List of Designated Additives
- 硫酸アルミニウムアンモニウム（結晶物の場合にあっては別名アンモニウムミョウバン、乾燥物の場合にあっては別名焼アンモニウムミョウバン） (No. 450)
In Japan
- An additive that contains aluminium (alternative names: ammonium alum, burnt ammonium alum). Under the standards for use, it cannot be used in miso, and in confectionery, fresh confectionery, and bread it is limited to 0.1 g per kg as aluminium (the upper limit was newly set in 2018).
- When used as a leavening agent, it can be written under group names such as “膨張剤” (leavening agent) or “ベーキングパウダー” (baking powder). When written by substance name, the simplified name is “アンモニウムミョウバン” (ammonium alum).
- In 2017, the Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSCJ) set a tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for aluminium of 2.1 mg per kg of body weight per week.
Japan's standards for use
- Confectionery, fresh confectionery, bread: up to 0.1 g/kg as aluminium
- Must not be used in miso
This is a summary of the standards for use. See the source list for the exact conditions.
In the EU
- It is on the EU list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II) as E523.
- In the EU, the foods where E520 to E523 (aluminium sulfates) can be used are limited to candied cherries (200 mg/kg as aluminium) and liquid egg white for whipping (25 mg/kg).
When it is labeled under a shared name
Aluminum Ammonium Sulfate (Crystal: Ammonium Alum, Dried: Burnt Ammonium Alum) may be declared on the label in the same way as “膨張剤”. See Leavening agent (baking powder) for details.
Sources
- List of Designated Additives — Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation (Japanese)
- Standards for use and storage of each additive — Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation (Japanese)
- EU food additive database (Japanese translation) — MAFF (Japanese)
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives — EUR-Lex
- 消費者庁「食品表示基準について」別添 添加物関係（簡略名・用途名併記・一括名・栄養強化の範囲） (Japanese)
- 消費者庁「アルミニウムを含む食品添加物について」 (Japanese)
- EFSA ANS Panel (2018) Re-evaluation of aluminium sulphates (E 520–523) and sodium aluminium phosphate, acidic (E 541) as food additives (Japanese)
Checked 2026-10-02. Rules and evaluations change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.
This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies; it is not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. The ADI is a guide to the amount that is considered safe to take every day over a lifetime.