Lactic acid
Function: Food Additive
E270 is the European food-additive number for Lactic acid. LACTIC ACID is an organic compound with the formula CH3CH-OH-CO2H.
Is E270 safe or restricted?
E270 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 E270 vegan or vegetarian?
Lactic acid (E270) 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 E270?
E270 appears in 17,679 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in olives, drinking yogurt / kefir and pesto.
- Olives1,154
- Drinking Yogurt / Kefir474
- Pesto416
- Gummy Candy402
- Potato Chips370
- Candy & Sweets361
- Tomato Sauce321
- Cakes320
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E270 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 E270
- What is E270?
- E270 is the E-number for Lactic acid. LACTIC ACID is an organic compound with the formula CH3CH-OH-CO2H.
- Which foods contain E270?
- E270 appears in 17,679 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in olives, drinking yogurt / kefir and pesto. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E270 vegan or vegetarian?
- Lactic acid (E270) 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 E270 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E270 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 E270 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.