Back to catalogSafety
E585ColorantLow concern
Ferrous Lactate
In plain words
The short version
An iron(II) lactate — alternative olive-blackening agent and iron fortifier.
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
JECFA includes ferrous lactate in a group provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) for iron of 0.8 mg/kg body weight, expressed as iron (1989 evaluation). Same considerations as ferrous gluconate.
The detail
Manufactured by reacting lactic acid with iron(II) carbonate. Available as the trihydrate (food-grade).
Alternative to ferrous gluconate for black-olive blackening — same chemistry (iron-polyphenol complex formation), with the lactate counter-ion offering a slightly different ionic profile. Common in iron-fortified bakery products and supplements.
Greenish-yellow crystalline powder, soluble in water.
Permitted globally for olive blackening and food iron fortification.
Sources
- JECFA database: Ferrous lactate (INS 585), 1989 evaluation — WHO / FAO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives, 1989. Group PMTDI 0.8 mg/kg bw for iron
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, consolidated text of 18.08.2026: E 585 conditions of use — EUR-Lex, 2026. EU use limited to darkened olives and Albatrellus ovinus, 150 mg/kg as Fe
- 21 CFR 184.1311 Ferrous lactate (affirmed GRAS), CFR 2025 edition — US Government Publishing Office (govinfo), 2025. US GRAS as nutrient supplement and olive color fixative
- 21 CFR 73.165 Ferrous lactate (color additive exempt from certification), CFR 2025 edition — US Government Publishing Office (govinfo), 2025. US permitted for coloring ripe olives
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.