Food additive databasepreservativeChecked 2026-10-02
Propyl p-Hydroxybenzoate パラオキシ安息香酸プロピル（別名パラヒドロキシ安息香酸プロピル）
Designated additiveNot on the EU additive list
- Purpose
- preservative
- On the label
- “保存料（パラオキシ安息香酸プロピル）” (preservative (propyl p-hydroxybenzoate)), “保存料（パラオキシ安息香酸）” (preservative (p-hydroxybenzoic acid)), “保存料（プロピルパラベン）” (preservative (propylparaben))
- Name in the List of Designated Additives
- パラオキシ安息香酸プロピル（別名パラヒドロキシ安息香酸プロピル） (No. 311)
In Japan
- One of the p-hydroxybenzoic acid esters (parabens), a preservative that suppresses the growth of molds and yeasts.
- The standards for use are set as the amount of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and the foods it can be used in and the upper limits are set for soy sauce, fruit sauces, vinegar, soft drinks, syrups, and the skins of fruits and fruit vegetables.
- Preservatives must be written together with the purpose name. The short names are “パラオキシ安息香酸” (p-hydroxybenzoic acid) and “プロピルパラベン” (propylparaben).
Japan's standards for use
- As p-hydroxybenzoic acid: soy sauce 0.25 g/L
- Fruit sauces 0.20 g/kg
- Vinegar 0.10 g/L
- Soft drinks and syrups 0.10 g/kg
- Skins of fruits and fruit vegetables 0.012 g/kg
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.
- It was formerly permitted as E216, but was removed from the additive list by Directive 2006/52/EC in 2006.
- The only parabens permitted as food additives in the EU are ethyl p-hydroxybenzoate (E214) and methyl p-hydroxybenzoate (E218) and their sodium salts (E215 and E219).
When it is labeled under a shared name
Propyl p-Hydroxybenzoate may be declared on the label in the same way as “パラオキシ安息香酸エステル類（パラベン）”. See Parabens (preservative) 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
- 消費者庁 食品表示基準Q&A 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)
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.