Food additive databasenutrient (fortification)Checked 2026-10-02

Iron Lactate 乳酸鉄

Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E585)

Purpose: nutrient (fortification)
On the label: “乳酸鉄” (iron lactate)
Name in the List of Designated Additives: 乳酸鉄 (No. 300)

In Japan

The iron salt of lactic acid, used to add iron to food (nutritional fortification). It has no standards for use (rules on which foods it can be used in and how much).
When used for nutritional fortification, labeling can generally be omitted (CAA, Attachment to the Food Labeling Standards guidance).

Japan's standards for use

There are no standards for use that limit which foods or how much (the general standards for all additives still apply).

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 E585.
In the EU, it is permitted as E585 (ferrous lactate), but the foods it can be used in are limited to a very few, such as olives darkened by oxidation (up to 150 mg/kg as iron).

Sources

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.

Other substances used as nutrient (fortification)

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