Calcium carbonates
Function: Food colours
E170 is the European food-additive number for Calcium carbonates, a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. Calcium carbonates (E170) is a food additive used as a food additive.
What is E170 used for?
Calcium carbonates (E170) is a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all Food colours (E-numbers).
Is E170 safe or restricted?
E170 is approved for use in the EU. It sits among the additives EFSA keeps under ongoing review as new evidence is published. Forkin classifies it as “Under monitoring” and does not make health claims. See the methodology for how regulatory levels are assigned, or the guide to how EU additives are approved, re-evaluated and banned.
Is E170 vegan or vegetarian?
Calcium carbonates (E170) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
The production source can vary between manufacturers — the Forkin app shows product-specific vegan and vegetarian signals where available, based on ingredient and label data. Always read the label for allergens.
Which foods contain E170?
E170 appears in 3,120 of the 4.9 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Pastry, Bread, and Cakes.
- Pastry257
- Bread218
- Cakes172
- Milk Chocolate95
- Chocolate Candy86
- White Bread84
- Candy & Sweets80
- Plant-Based Alternatives58
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E170 across the catalogue.
Counts reflect Forkin's independently enriched product catalogue and update as new products are added — they are not a market-share statistic.
Frequently asked questions about E170
- What is E170?
- E170 is the E-number for Calcium carbonates, a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. Calcium carbonates (E170) is a food additive used as a food additive.
- What is E170 used for?
- Calcium carbonates (E170) is a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. Manufacturers add it during processing rather than for nutrition. The Forkin app shows which products in your scan history actually contain it.
- Which foods contain E170?
- E170 appears in 3,120 of the 4.9 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Pastry, Bread, and Cakes. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E170 vegan or vegetarian?
- Calcium carbonates (E170) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The Forkin app shows product-specific vegan and vegetarian signals where available, based on ingredient and label data, since the source can vary between manufacturers.
- Is E170 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E170 is approved for use in the EU. It sits among the additives EFSA keeps under ongoing review as new evidence is published. Forkin classifies it as ‘Under monitoring’ and does not make health claims — see the methodology page for how regulatory levels are assigned, and the Forkin app for the full profile, including acceptable daily intake (ADI) and restrictions by country.
See the full profile in Forkin
The Forkin app surfaces the full regulatory profile of E170 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan and vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.