Calcium sulphate
Function: Acidity Regulator
E516 is the European food-additive number for Calcium sulphate, an acidity regulator — used to control and stabilise the pH of a food. Calcium sulphate (E516) is a sequestrant used as a food additive.
What is E516 used for?
Calcium sulphate (E516) is an acidity regulator — used to control and stabilise the pH of a food. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all acidity regulators (E-numbers).
Is E516 safe or restricted?
E516 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 E516 vegan or vegetarian?
Calcium sulphate (E516) 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 E516?
E516 appears in 4,096 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in cakes, bread and tofu.
- Cakes460
- Bread445
- Tofu271
- Ice Cream234
- White Bread211
- Bread Rolls / Buns201
- Pastry152
- Sandwiches93
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E516 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 E516
- What is E516?
- E516 is the E-number for Calcium sulphate, an acidity regulator — used to control and stabilise the pH of a food. Calcium sulphate (E516) is a sequestrant used as a food additive.
- What is E516 used for?
- Calcium sulphate (E516) is an acidity regulator — used to control and stabilise the pH 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 E516?
- E516 appears in 4,096 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in cakes, bread and tofu. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E516 vegan or vegetarian?
- Calcium sulphate (E516) 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 E516 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E516 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 E516 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.