Food additive databaseKeeps food longerChecked 2026-09-27
Parabens (preservative) パラオキシ安息香酸エステル類（パラベン）
Food additiveNot permitted in the EU
- Purpose
- prevents microbial growth and extends shelf life (preservative)
- On the label
- “保存料（パラオキシ安息香酸ブチル）” (preservative (butyl parahydroxybenzoate)) and others
Flagged additives are marked when you use the Ingredient Checker (choose others).
In Japan
- Japan permits five kinds: isobutyl, isopropyl, ethyl, butyl, and propyl.
- They may be used in soy sauce, fruit sauces, soft drinks, and so on.
Under stricter rules abroad
Category: Not permitted in the EU
- In the EU, only methyl and ethyl parabens may be used in food. Propyl paraben was withdrawn in 2006 because of its effects on the reproductive organs of young male rats (Directive 2006/52/EC).
- In 2006, JECFA also removed propyl paraben from the group ADI.
- From 2027, the US state of California bans the manufacture and sale of foods containing propyl paraben (AB 418).
Substances labeled this way
Related pages
Sources
- Food Labeling Standards (Cabinet Office Ordinance No. 10 of 2015) (Japanese)
- EU Directive 2006/52/EC (EUR-Lex)
- JECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives) database
Last checked 2026-09-27. Rules change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.
The categories are not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies.