Sodium citrates
Function: Emulsifier
E331 is the European food-additive number for Sodium citrates, an emulsifier — helps ingredients that normally separate, like oil and water, stay mixed. Sodium citrates (E331) is an emulsifier used as a food additive.
What is E331 used for?
Sodium citrates (E331) is an emulsifier — helps ingredients that normally separate, like oil and water, stay mixed. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all emulsifiers (E-numbers).
Is E331 safe or restricted?
E331 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 regulatory flags” 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 E331 vegan or vegetarian?
Sodium citrates (E331) 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 E331?
E331 appears in 9,890 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in sausages, energy drink and pork (general).
- Sausages669
- Energy Drink616
- Pork (General)415
- Flavored Yogurt388
- Chicken (General)263
- Cakes251
- Iced Tea241
- Beef (General)217
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E331 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 E331
- What is E331?
- E331 is the E-number for Sodium citrates, an emulsifier — helps ingredients that normally separate, like oil and water, stay mixed. Sodium citrates (E331) is an emulsifier used as a food additive.
- What is E331 used for?
- Sodium citrates (E331) is an emulsifier — helps ingredients that normally separate, like oil and water, stay mixed. 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 E331?
- E331 appears in 9,890 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in sausages, energy drink and pork (general). Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E331 vegan or vegetarian?
- Sodium citrates (E331) 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 E331 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E331 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 regulatory flags" 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 E331 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.