Food additive databaseleavening agent, processing agentChecked 2026-10-02
Aluminum Potassium Sulfate (Crystal: Alum or Potassium Alum, Dried: Burnt Alum) 硫酸アルミニウムカリウム（結晶物の場合にあっては別名ミョウバン又はカリミョウバン、乾燥物の場合にあっては別名焼ミョウバン）
Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E522)
- Purpose
- leavening agent, processing agent
- On the label
- “膨張剤” (leavening agent), “ミョウバン” (alum), “カリミョウバン” (potassium alum), “焼ミョウバン” (burnt alum)
- Name in the List of Designated Additives
- 硫酸アルミニウムカリウム（結晶物の場合にあっては別名ミョウバン又はカリミョウバン、乾燥物の場合にあっては別名焼ミョウバン） (No. 451)
In Japan
- An additive containing aluminum (also known as “ミョウバン” (alum), “カリミョウバン” (potassium alum), and “焼ミョウバン” (burnt alum)). Under the standards for use, it may not be used in miso, and in confectionery, fresh confectionery, and bread it is limited to 0.1 g per kg as aluminum (the upper limit was newly set in 2018).
- Under the Food Labeling Standards, when used as a leavening agent it can be labeled with a group name 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 names “ミョウバン” (alum) and “カリミョウバン” (potassium alum) can be used.
- In 2017, in its evaluation of aluminum potassium sulfate and related substances, the Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSCJ) set a tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 2.1 mg per kg of body weight per week, expressed as aluminum.
Japan's standards for use
- Confectionery, fresh confectionery, bread: up to 0.1 g/kg as aluminum
- 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 E522.
- In the EU, the foods in which E520–523 (aluminum sulfates) may be used are limited to a very few, such as candied cherries (200 mg/kg as aluminum) (amended by EU Regulation 380/2012).
When it is labeled under a shared name
Aluminum Potassium Sulfate (Crystal: Alum or Potassium Alum, Dried: Burnt 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・類別名一覧、用途名併記の例示、一括名の範囲、栄養強化の範囲ほか） (Japanese)
- 消費者庁「アルミニウムを含む食品添加物について」 (Japanese)
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 380/2012（アルミニウムを含む食品添加物の使用条件の改正） (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.