Food additive databasepreservativeChecked 2026-10-02
Nisin ナイシン
Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E234)EFSA ADI 1mg per kg body weight per day
- Purpose
- preservative
- On the label
- “保存料（ナイシン）” (preservative (nisin))
- Name in the List of Designated Additives
- ナイシン (No. 286)
In Japan
- An antibacterial polypeptide obtained from a culture of a lactic acid bacterium (Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis); the main component is nisin A. The specifications describe it as a mixture with sodium chloride.
- It is used as a preservative, and the standards for use set the foods it can be used in and the upper limits. Because it is a preservative, the purpose name is written alongside, as in “保存料（ナイシン）” (preservative (nisin)).
Japan's standards for use
- Amounts are specified as antibacterial polypeptides, including nisin A
- Meat products, cheese (excluding processed cheese), and whipped cream products: 0.0125 g/kg
- Sauces, dressings, and mayonnaise: 0.010 g/kg
- Processed cheese and Western-style confectionery: 0.00625 g/kg
- Processed egg products and miso: 0.0050 g/kg
- Western-style fresh confectionery made mainly from grains and starch: 0.0030 g/kg
- Cannot be used in foods other than the above (except where permission or approval for special dietary use labeling has been obtained)
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 E234.
- In its 2017 evaluation, EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) set an ADI (acceptable daily intake) of 1mg per kg of body weight per day (EFSA ANS).
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） (Japanese)
- 食品、添加物等の規格基準（昭和34年厚生省告示第370号）第2 添加物（成分規格・使用基準） (Japanese)
- EFSA ANS Panel (2017) Safety of nisin (E 234) as a food additive in the light of new toxicological data and the proposed extension of use. EFSA Journal 15(12):5063 (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.