Food additive databasekansui, processing agentChecked 2026-10-02
Sodium Carbonate (Crystal: Carbonate Soda, Anhydrous: Soda Ash) 炭酸ナトリウム（結晶物の場合にあっては別名炭酸ソーダ、無水物の場合にあっては別名ソーダ灰）
Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E500(i))
- Purpose
- kansui, processing agent
- On the label
- “炭酸Na” (sodium carbonate), “炭酸塩（Na、Mg）” (carbonates (Na, Mg)), “かんすい・pH調整剤・膨脹剤（一括名）” (kansui, pH adjuster, leavening agent (group names))
- Name in the List of Designated Additives
- 炭酸ナトリウム（結晶物の場合にあっては別名炭酸ソーダ、無水物の場合にあっては別名ソーダ灰） (No. 252)
In Japan
- It falls within the scope of “かんすい” (kansui), the alkaline agent used for Chinese-style noodles, and also within the scope of the group names for pH adjuster and leavening agent. No standards for use have been set.
- When written by substance name, the short name is “炭酸Na” (sodium carbonate). When used together with magnesium carbonate, it can be written as “炭酸塩（Na、Mg）” (carbonates (Na, Mg)).
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(i).
When it is labeled under a shared name
Sodium Carbonate (Crystal: Carbonate Soda, Anhydrous: Soda Ash) may be declared on the label in the same way as “かんすい”. See Kansui (alkaline agent for noodles) 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.