Citric acid
Function: Acidity regulators
E330 is the European food-additive number for Citric acid, an acidity regulator — used to control and stabilise the pH of a food. Citric acid (E330) is an antioxidant used as a food additive.
What is E330 used for?
Citric acid (E330) is an acidity regulator — used to control and stabilise the pH of a food. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all Acidity regulators (E-numbers).
Is E330 safe or restricted?
E330 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 E330 vegan or vegetarian?
Citric acid (E330) 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 E330?
E330 appears in 325,684 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Candy & Sweets, Energy Drink, and Gummy Candy.
- Candy & Sweets14,192
- Energy Drink7,218
- Gummy Candy7,041
- Potato Chips5,602
- Cakes5,540
- Soft Drinks5,163
- Pastry4,891
- Soda Water / Club Soda4,872
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E330 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 E330
- What is E330?
- E330 is the E-number for Citric acid, an acidity regulator — used to control and stabilise the pH of a food. Citric acid (E330) is an antioxidant used as a food additive.
- What is E330 used for?
- Citric acid (E330) is an acidity regulator — used to control and stabilise the pH of a 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 E330?
- E330 appears in 325,684 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Candy & Sweets, Energy Drink, and Gummy Candy. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E330 vegan or vegetarian?
- Citric acid (E330) 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 E330 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E330 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 E330 — 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.