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E301AntioxidantLow concern
Sodium Ascorbate
In plain words
The short version
The non-acidic sodium salt of vitamin C — pH-neutral form for cured meats and fortified foods.
Why it's green
It's widely considered safe at the amounts used in food, so we mark it green. The Safety section below has the details.
Safety profile
ADI not specified — well-tolerated. Excess intake is excreted unchanged. Adds dietary sodium that should be considered in cardiovascular formulations (each gram of sodium ascorbate provides ~115 mg sodium).
The detail
Produced by neutralizing L-ascorbic acid (E300) with sodium bicarbonate. Identical vitamin activity to ascorbic acid but without the acidic taste — preferred where a low-pH actor would damage texture or flavor.
Standard in cured-meat formulations as a nitrosamine inhibitor (preferred over ascorbic acid where its acidity would interfere with the cure). Used in infant formula, supplements, fortified beverages, and chewable vitamin tablets. Often combined with sodium erythorbate (E316) for cost-effective dose.
White to slightly yellow crystalline powder. Very soluble in water at neutral pH. More heat-stable than ascorbic acid in dry storage; oxidizes in solution like its parent acid.
Permitted globally without restrictive limits.
Sources
- EFSA — Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of ascorbic acid (E 300), sodium ascorbate (E 301) and calcium ascorbate (E 302) as food additives (EFSA Journal 2015;13(5):4087) — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), ANS Panel, 2015. Safety: no safety concern; no need for numerical ADI
- WHO JECFA database — Sodium ascorbate (INS 301) — Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), 1981. Safety: ADI not specified (group ADI with ascorbic acid)
- 21 CFR 182.3731 — Sodium ascorbate (GRAS chemical preservative), eCFR — U.S. FDA / eCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. Regulation: US GRAS at GMP
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.