Potassium carbonate
Function: Stabiliser
E501I is the European food-additive number for Potassium carbonate, a stabiliser — keeps a food's physical state uniform and stops it separating. Potassium carbonate (E501i) is a stabiliser used as a food additive.
What is E501I used for?
Potassium carbonate (E501I) 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 E501I safe or restricted?
E501I 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 E501I vegan or vegetarian?
Potassium carbonate (E501I) 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 E501I?
E501I appears in 1,334 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in instant noodles, cocoa powder and protein powder / shake.
- Instant Noodles284
- Cocoa Powder45
- Protein Powder / Shake44
- Ground Coffee38
- Cakes36
- Ramen Noodles35
- Noodles (Egg)35
- Gingerbread31
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E501I 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 E501I
- What is E501I?
- E501I is the E-number for Potassium carbonate, a stabiliser — keeps a food's physical state uniform and stops it separating. Potassium carbonate (E501i) is a stabiliser used as a food additive.
- What is E501I used for?
- Potassium carbonate (E501I) 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 E501I?
- E501I appears in 1,334 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in instant noodles, cocoa powder and protein powder / shake. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E501I vegan or vegetarian?
- Potassium carbonate (E501I) 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 E501I safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E501I 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 E501I — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.