Sodium carbonate
Function: Stabiliser
E500I is the European food-additive number for Sodium carbonate, a stabiliser — keeps a food's physical state uniform and stops it separating. SODIUM CARBONATE, -also known as washing soda, soda ash and soda crystals, and in the monohydrate form as crystal carbonate- is the water-soluble sodium salt of carbonic acid.
What is E500I used for?
Sodium carbonate (E500I) is a stabiliser — keeps a food's physical state uniform and stops it separating. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all stabilisers (E-numbers).
Is E500I safe or restricted?
E500I 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 E500I vegan or vegetarian?
Sodium carbonate (E500I) 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 E500I?
E500I appears in 13,100 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in cakes, chocolate candy and shortbread.
- Cakes1,124
- Chocolate Candy715
- Shortbread520
- Pastry480
- Crackers363
- Instant Noodles329
- Cream-Filled Cookies313
- Wafers305
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E500I 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 E500I
- What is E500I?
- E500I is the E-number for Sodium carbonate, a stabiliser — keeps a food's physical state uniform and stops it separating. SODIUM CARBONATE, -also known as washing soda, soda ash and soda crystals, and in the monohydrate form as crystal carbonate- is the water-soluble sodium salt of carbonic acid.
- What is E500I used for?
- Sodium carbonate (E500I) is a stabiliser — keeps a food's physical state uniform and stops it separating. 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 E500I?
- E500I appears in 13,100 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in cakes, chocolate candy and shortbread. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E500I vegan or vegetarian?
- Sodium carbonate (E500I) 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 E500I safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E500I 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 E500I — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.