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E332AcidulantLow concern
Potassium Citrate
In plain words
The short version
The potassium salt of citric acid — sodium-free buffer, also a urinary alkalinizer.
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. The potassium load can matter in patients with impaired renal function or on potassium-sparing diuretics; for healthy individuals, dietary potassium is generally beneficial.
The detail
Produced by neutralizing citric acid (E330) with potassium hydroxide or carbonate. Available as the monopotassium (acid salt) and tripotassium (neutral salt) forms.
Used as a sodium-free pH buffer in sports drinks, low-sodium and renal-diet foods, and effervescent supplements. Outside food, prescribed as a urinary alkalinizer to prevent calcium-stone formation in kidney-stone patients.
White crystalline powder, deliquescent (the tripotassium form). Very soluble in water. Mildly alkaline solution.
Permitted globally without restrictive limits.
Sources
- JECFA — Potassium citrate (INS 332(ii)), evaluation 1973 — WHO / Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, 1973. safety: JECFA ADI not limited
- 21 CFR 184.1625 — Potassium citrate (affirmed GRAS) — US eCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. regulation and origin: GRAS, no limit other than GMP; made by neutralising citric acid
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives, Annex II Part C, Group I (consolidated text of 18.08.2026) — EUR-Lex, Publications Office of the European Union, 2026. regulation: EU Group I additive at quantum satis
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.