Food additive databaseprocessing agentChecked 2026-10-02

Potassium Hydrogen Carbonate (Potassium Bicarbonate or Potassium Acid Carbonate) 炭酸水素カリウム（別名重炭酸カリウム又は酸性炭酸カリウム）

Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E501)

Purpose: processing agent
On the label: “炭酸水素カリウム” (potassium hydrogen carbonate)
Name in the List of Designated Additives: 炭酸水素カリウム（別名重炭酸カリウム又は酸性炭酸カリウム） (No. 250)

In Japan

Designated in August 2022.
Under the standards for use, the foods it can be used in are limited to wine and the grape juice used to make it. Here, wine means fruit wine and sweet fruit wine made mainly from grapes (administrative notice).

Japan's standards for use

Only for grape juice used in making wine, and for wine

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 E501.

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 processing agent

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