Food additive databasepreservativeChecked 2026-10-02
Ethyl p-Hydroxybenzoate パラオキシ安息香酸エチル（別名パラヒドロキシ安息香酸エチル）
Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E214)EFSA ADI 10mg以下 per kg body weight per day
- Purpose
- preservative
- On the label
- “保存料（パラオキシ安息香酸エチル）” (preservative (ethyl p-hydroxybenzoate)), “保存料（パラオキシ安息香酸）” (preservative (p-hydroxybenzoic acid)), “保存料（エチルパラベン）” (preservative (ethylparaben))
- Name in the List of Designated Additives
- パラオキシ安息香酸エチル（別名パラヒドロキシ安息香酸エチル） (No. 309)
In Japan
- One of the p-hydroxybenzoic acid esters (parabens), a preservative that suppresses the growth of microorganisms and extends shelf life. The standards for use are set as the amount of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and the amounts allowed are set for soy sauce, fruit sauces, vinegar, soft drinks, syrups, and the skins of fruits and fruit vegetables.
- Because it is a preservative, it must be written together with the purpose name, as in “保存料（パラオキシ安息香酸エチル）” (preservative (ethyl p-hydroxybenzoate)). The short names “パラオキシ安息香酸” (p-hydroxybenzoic acid) and “エチルパラベン” (ethylparaben) can also be used.
Japan's standards for use
- As p-hydroxybenzoic acid: soy sauce 0.25 g/L
- Fruit sauces 0.20 g/kg
- Vinegar 0.10 g/L
- Soft drinks and syrups 0.10 g/kg
- Skins of fruits and fruit vegetables 0.012 g/kg
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 E214.
- In its 2004 evaluation, EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) set an ADI (acceptable daily intake) of 10mg以下 per kg of body weight per day (a group ADI, for the total of related substances) (EFSA AFC).
When it is labeled under a shared name
Ethyl p-Hydroxybenzoate may be declared on the label in the same way as “パラオキシ安息香酸エステル類（パラベン）”. See Parabens (preservative) 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
- EFSA OpenFoodTox (chemical hazards database)
- 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・ばら売りの表示） (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.