Potassium chloride
Function: Flavour Enhancer
E508 is the European food-additive number for Potassium chloride, a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste of a food. Potassium chloride (E508) is a stabiliser used as a food additive.
What is E508 used for?
Potassium chloride (E508) is a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste of a food. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all flavour enhancers (E-numbers).
Is E508 safe or restricted?
E508 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 E508 vegan or vegetarian?
Potassium chloride (E508) 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 E508?
E508 appears in 5,103 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in potato chips, soup and ham.
- Potato Chips322
- Soup278
- Ham254
- Protein Powder / Shake153
- Corn Snacks152
- Sausages144
- Baby Formula (Powder)142
- Dietary Supplements125
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E508 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 E508
- What is E508?
- E508 is the E-number for Potassium chloride, a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste of a food. Potassium chloride (E508) is a stabiliser used as a food additive.
- What is E508 used for?
- Potassium chloride (E508) is a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste 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 E508?
- E508 appears in 5,103 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in potato chips, soup and ham. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E508 vegan or vegetarian?
- Potassium chloride (E508) 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 E508 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E508 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 E508 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.