Ammonium phosphate
Function: Acidity regulators
E342 is the European food-additive number for Ammonium phosphate, an acidity regulator — used to control and stabilise the pH of a food. Ammonium phosphate (E342) is a stabiliser used as a food additive.
What is E342 used for?
Ammonium phosphate (E342) 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 E342 safe or restricted?
E342 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 E342 vegan or vegetarian?
Ammonium phosphate (E342) 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 E342?
E342 appears in 270 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Chocolate Chips / Baking Chocolate, Ice Cream, and Crackers.
- Chocolate Chips / Baking Chocolate50
- Ice Cream25
- Crackers20
- Biscuits & Cookies16
- Chocolate Candy13
- Cakes11
- Bread10
- Candy & Sweets8
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E342 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 E342
- What is E342?
- E342 is the E-number for Ammonium phosphate, an acidity regulator — used to control and stabilise the pH of a food. Ammonium phosphate (E342) is a stabiliser used as a food additive.
- What is E342 used for?
- Ammonium phosphate (E342) 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 E342?
- E342 appears in 270 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Chocolate Chips / Baking Chocolate, Ice Cream, and Crackers. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E342 vegan or vegetarian?
- Ammonium phosphate (E342) 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 E342 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E342 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 E342 — 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.