Food additive databasedisinfectantChecked 2026-10-02
Dimethyl Dicarbonate 二炭酸ジメチル
Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E242)
- Purpose
- disinfectant
- On the label
- “二炭酸ジメチル” (dimethyl dicarbonate) (when it is labeled)
- Name in the List of Designated Additives
- 二炭酸ジメチル (No. 296)
In Japan
- A sterilizing agent added when drinks are filled into containers. Under the standards for use, the foods it can be used in are limited to soft drinks (excluding mineral waters), fruit wine and grape wine.
- The FSCJ says that it breaks down in aqueous solution, so it falls below the detection limit in the finished drink. Sterilizing agents are not among the 8 purposes for which the purpose name must be written alongside, and whether it counts as a processing aid is judged case by case based on the standards for use and actual use (guidance on the Food Labeling Standards).
Japan's standards for use
- Soft drinks (excluding mineral waters): up to 0.25 g/kg
- Fruit wine (excluding grape wine): up to 0.25 g/kg
- Grape wine: up to 0.20 g/kg
- Storage standard: put in a sealed container and store at 30°C or below
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 E242.
- In the EU, it can be used in flavored drinks, liquid tea concentrates, wine without alcohol, cider, fruit wine and other alcoholic beverages, among others, at an added amount of up to 250 mg/L (with no residue detected) (Annex II, Part E).
- In its 2015 re-evaluation, the EFSA ANS Panel said an ADI cannot be derived from the toxicity data, and concluded that there is no indication of concern at current uses and use levels.
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」本体（添加物の物質名・簡略名・増粘多糖類・用途名・加工助剤・栄養強化） (Japanese)
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 統合版（2026-08-18）附属書II（EUR-Lex） (Japanese)
- 食品安全委員会「二炭酸ジメチルに係る食品健康影響評価に関する審議結果（案）についての意見・情報の募集結果について」（2018年） (Japanese)
- EFSA ANS Panel (2015) Scientific opinion on the re-evaluation of dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC, E 242) as a food additive. EFSA Journal 13(12):4319 (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.