Food additive databasenutrient (fortification), processing agentChecked 2026-10-02
Iron 鉄
Existing food additiveNot on the EU additive list
- Purpose
- nutrient (fortification), processing agent
- On the label
- “鉄” (iron) (labeling is exempt when used for nutritional fortification)
- Name in the List of Existing Food Additives
- 鉄 (No. 190)
- Source and production
- Iron (Fe).
In Japan
- Metallic iron (Fe). In the List of Existing Food Additives, its purposes are listed as nutrient fortifier (“強化剤”) and processing agent (“製造用剤”).
- When used for nutritional fortification, labeling is exempt. When it is labeled for other purposes, it is written by its substance name, “鉄” (iron). There are no standards for use.
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 not on the EU list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II), so it cannot be used as a food additive in the EU.
Sources
- List of Existing Food 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
- 日本食品化学研究振興財団「既存添加物名簿収載品目リスト」（令和7年8月25日現在） (Japanese)
- 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「食品添加物表示に関するマメ知識」（用途名併記・一括名・表示が免除される添加物） (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.