Food additive databaseleavening agent, processing agentChecked 2026-10-02
Sodium Bicarbonate (Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate or Bicarbonate Soda) 炭酸水素ナトリウム（別名重炭酸ナトリウム又は重炭酸ソーダ）
Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E500(ii))
- Purpose
- leavening agent, processing agent
- On the label
- “重曹” (baking soda), “炭酸水素Na” (sodium hydrogen carbonate), “重炭酸Na” (sodium bicarbonate), “膨脹剤・かんすい・pH調整剤（一括名）” (leavening agent, kansui, pH adjuster (group names))
- Name in the List of Designated Additives
- 炭酸水素ナトリウム（別名重炭酸ナトリウム又は重炭酸ソーダ） (No. 251)
In Japan
- Commonly known as baking soda (“重曹”). It falls within the scope of the group names for leavening agent, kansui (alkaline agent for noodles), and pH adjuster. No standards for use have been set.
- When written by substance name, the short names are “炭酸水素Na” (sodium hydrogen carbonate), “重炭酸Na” (sodium bicarbonate), and “重曹” (baking soda).
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 E500(ii).
When it is labeled under a shared name
Sodium Bicarbonate (Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate or Bicarbonate Soda) may be declared on the label in the same way as “膨張剤”. See Leavening agent (baking powder) 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)
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.