Food additive databaseacidulant, pH adjusterChecked 2026-10-02
Phosphoric Acid リン酸
Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E338)EFSA ADI 40mg per kg body weight per day
- Purpose
- acidulant, pH adjuster
- On the label
- “酸味料” (acidulant), “pH調整剤” (pH adjuster), “リン酸” (phosphoric acid)
- Name in the List of Designated Additives
- リン酸 (No. 460)
In Japan
- An acid of phosphorus (orthophosphoric acid). No standards for use have been set.
- It falls within the group names for acidulant and pH adjuster, so when used for that purpose it can be written together as “酸味料” (acidulant) or “pH調整剤” (pH adjuster). When written by substance name, it is “リン酸” (phosphoric acid).
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 E338.
- In its 2019 evaluation, EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) set an ADI (acceptable daily intake) of 40mg per kg of body weight per day (a group ADI, for the total of related substances) (EFSA FAF).
When it is labeled under a shared name
Phosphoric Acid may be declared on the label in the same way as “酸味料”. See Acidulant (acidity regulator) 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） (Japanese)
- EFSA FAF Panel (2019) Re-evaluation of phosphoric acid–phosphates – di-, tri- and polyphosphates (E 338–341, E 343, E 450–452) as food additives (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.