Malic acid
Function: Food Additive
E296 is the European food-additive number for Malic acid. MALIC ACID is an organic compound with the molecular formula C4H6O5.
Is E296 safe or restricted?
E296 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 E296 vegan or vegetarian?
Malic acid (E296) 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 E296?
E296 appears in 33,916 of the 4.6 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in gummy candy, potato chips and dietary supplements.
- Gummy Candy2,215
- Potato Chips1,379
- Dietary Supplements1,063
- Sour Candy953
- Chewing Gum946
- Energy Drink930
- Iced Tea719
- Hard Candy611
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E296 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 E296
- What is E296?
- E296 is the E-number for Malic acid. MALIC ACID is an organic compound with the molecular formula C4H6O5.
- Which foods contain E296?
- E296 appears in 33,916 of the 4.6 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in gummy candy, potato chips and dietary supplements. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E296 vegan or vegetarian?
- Malic acid (E296) 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 E296 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E296 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 E296 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See how Forkin compares to other scanners or view pricing.