Potassium ascorbate
Function: Antioxidants
E303 is the European food-additive number for Potassium ascorbate, an antioxidant — used to stop fats and oils going rancid and to protect colour. Potassium ascorbate (E303) is a food additive used as a food additive.
What is E303 used for?
Potassium ascorbate (E303) is an antioxidant — used to stop fats and oils going rancid and to protect colour. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all Antioxidants (E-numbers).
Is E303 safe or restricted?
E303 is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as “No known concern” 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 E303 vegan or vegetarian?
Potassium ascorbate (E303) 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 the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product. Always read the label for allergens.
Which foods contain E303?
E303 appears in 355 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Sausages, Ham, and Pork (General).
- Sausages65
- Ham34
- Pork (General)34
- Turkey Breast33
- Processed Meat16
- Bacon16
- Salami / Chorizo13
- Chicken (General)11
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E303 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 E303
- What is E303?
- E303 is the E-number for Potassium ascorbate, an antioxidant — used to stop fats and oils going rancid and to protect colour. Potassium ascorbate (E303) is a food additive used as a food additive.
- What is E303 used for?
- Potassium ascorbate (E303) is an antioxidant — used to stop fats and oils going rancid and to protect colour. 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 E303?
- E303 appears in 355 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Sausages, Ham, and Pork (General). Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E303 vegan or vegetarian?
- Potassium ascorbate (E303) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product, since the source can vary between manufacturers.
- Is E303 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E303 is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as ‘No known concern’ 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 E303 — 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.