Preservatives Demystified: The Full List of Authorised Preservative Additives and Why They Matter
Preservatives in Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 – definition, role in food safety and the complete E-number list, by InfoCons
The additives that fight spoilage – InfoCons Consumer Protection
Few additives are as directly connected to food safety as preservatives. By slowing or preventing the growth of bacteria, moulds and yeasts, they protect food from spoilage and, crucially, from the pathogens that cause food-borne illness. In Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, preservatives are one of the twenty-seven functional categories. This InfoCons – Consumer Protection article explains what preservatives are, the vital job they do, and lists the authorised preservatives by E number and name.
What the law says: the definition of preservatives – InfoCons Consumer Protection
Annex I defines preservatives as substances that prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against the growth of pathogenic micro-organisms. This dual role – preventing spoilage and protecting against dangerous pathogens – places preservatives at the intersection of quality and safety. They are subject to the general conditions of authorisation: proven safety at the levels used, genuine technological need, and no misleading of the consumer.
Preservatives are also a good illustration of the quantum satis and maximum-level principles. Many preservatives, such as sulphites and nitrites, are permitted only up to defined maximum levels in specified foods, precisely because their effect and their safety profile depend closely on the amount used. The conditions of use tie each preservative to particular food categories and quantities, which is why the same preservative may be allowed in one food and forbidden in another.
What preservatives do in your food – InfoCons Consumer Protection
Preservatives protect a huge range of foods. Sorbates and benzoates guard against moulds and yeasts in products such as soft drinks, sauces and baked goods; sulphites prevent browning and microbial growth in dried fruit, wine and some processed vegetables; propionates inhibit mould in bread and baked products; and nitrites and nitrates play a specific and important role in cured meats, where they inhibit the growth of Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium responsible for botulism, while also contributing to colour and flavour.
Some preservatives are of biological origin – nisin and natamycin, for example, are produced by micro-organisms and used to protect cheeses and other products, while lysozyme, derived from egg white, is used in some cheeses. This diversity shows that preservation is achieved through many different substances, each suited to particular foods and spoilage risks, rather than through a single universal preservative.
The authorised preservatives: E numbers and names – InfoCons Consumer Protection
The following preservatives are among those authorised in the Union list, each identified by its E number and name as it would appear in an ingredient list:
E 200 – Sorbic acid
E 202 – Potassium sorbate
E 203 – Calcium sorbate
E 210 – Benzoic acid
E 211 – Sodium benzoate
E 212 – Potassium benzoate
E 213 – Calcium benzoate
E 214 – Ethyl p-hydroxybenzoate
E 215 – Sodium ethyl p-hydroxybenzoate
E 218 – Methyl p-hydroxybenzoate
E 219 – Sodium methyl p-hydroxybenzoate
E 220 – Sulphur dioxide
E 221 – Sodium sulphite
E 222 – Sodium hydrogen sulphite
E 223 – Sodium metabisulphite
E 224 – Potassium metabisulphite
E 226 – Calcium sulphite
E 227 – Calcium hydrogen sulphite
E 228 – Potassium hydrogen sulphite
E 234 – Nisin
E 235 – Natamycin
E 239 – Hexamethylene tetramine
E 242 – Dimethyl dicarbonate
E 243 – Ethyl lauroyl arginate
E 249 – Potassium nitrite
E 250 – Sodium nitrite
E 251 – Sodium nitrate
E 252 – Potassium nitrate
E 280 – Propionic acid
E 281 – Sodium propionate
E 282 – Calcium propionate
E 283 – Potassium propionate
E 284 – Boric acid
E 285 – Sodium tetraborate (borax)
E 1105 – Lysozyme
The sulphites (E 220 to E 228) deserve particular attention because they are among the substances that must be declared as allergens, since they can trigger reactions in sensitive individuals, especially asthmatics. Nitrites and nitrates (E 249 to E 252) are tightly restricted and, when labelled for food use, nitrite may be sold only mixed with salt or a salt substitute, reflecting the care taken with these substances.
Preservatives and the informed consumer – InfoCons Consumer Protection
Preservatives are often unfairly demonised, yet many are essential to preventing dangerous food-borne illness and reducing food waste. The goal for the informed consumer is not blanket avoidance but awareness: knowing which preservatives are present, understanding their purpose, and paying attention to those – such as sulphites – that carry specific allergen relevance.
InfoCons – Consumer Protection highlights again the cumulative dimension. The same preservative may appear across many products in a basket, and several different preservatives may be present in a single meal. Being able to see the total number of additives, including preservatives, accumulated across purchases and meals is what allows a consumer to judge their real exposure rather than reacting to a single label.
How much may be used: conditions, limits and quantum satis – InfoCons Consumer Protection
Being authorised is only the beginning. Under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, every preservative may be used only in the specific food categories set out in the Union list and only under the conditions attached to each entry. For many substances the list sets a numerical maximum level, expressed in milligrams per kilogram of food; for others it applies the quantum satis principle, meaning no fixed numerical limit is set and the substance must be used in accordance with good manufacturing practice, at no more than the level needed to achieve the intended effect, and without misleading the consumer.
The regulation also requires that the amount used be limited to the lowest level necessary to obtain the desired technological effect. Where maximum levels apply, they take into account the acceptable daily intake established for the substance and the likely intake from all dietary sources, including for special groups such as children. As a rule, maximum levels apply to the food as marketed, with a specific adjustment for dehydrated or concentrated foods that must be reconstituted before consumption.
For the consumer, this means that the presence of a preservative on a label does not imply it can be used without limit. On the contrary, its use is bounded by category, by purpose and, in many cases, by a precise maximum. InfoCons – Consumer Protection considers these conditions of use one of the most important, and least understood, protections in the whole system.
Safety first: assessment, ADI and re-evaluation – InfoCons Consumer Protection
No preservative reaches the Union list without first being assessed as safe at its proposed levels of use, on the basis of the available scientific evidence. For many additives, scientific bodies establish an acceptable daily intake, or ADI – an estimate of the amount that can be consumed every day over a lifetime without appreciable risk. The conditions of use are then set so that realistic consumption across the whole diet is expected to remain within this safe boundary.
Crucially, authorisation is not permanent and untouchable. The European Union has committed to a systematic re-evaluation of previously approved additives by the European Food Safety Authority in the light of current scientific knowledge. Producers and users are also legally obliged to report immediately any new scientific or technical information that might affect an additive safety assessment. Together, these mechanisms mean that each preservative remains under review and its authorisation can be maintained, tightened or withdrawn as the evidence evolves.
InfoCons – Consumer Protection views this combination of prior assessment and continuous re-evaluation as the backbone of consumer confidence. It allows consumers to treat an authorised additive as one that has been vetted, while understanding that the system remains vigilant rather than complacent.
Natural, nature-identical or synthetic? – InfoCons Consumer Protection
A common misunderstanding is that every E number denotes an artificial chemical. In reality, additives within a single functional class can come from very different origins: some are extracted from natural sources, some are nature-identical versions of substances found in nature, and some are produced synthetically. The E number identifies the substance and confirms it is authorised; it does not, on its own, tell you whether the source is natural or synthetic.
This matters because consumers often have legitimate preferences about origin, whether for dietary, ethical or personal reasons. Reading the specific name behind the functional class – not just the fact that a preservative is present – is what allows an informed choice. InfoCons – Consumer Protection encourages consumers to look past the general fear of E numbers and to focus instead on the specific substances and their documented roles.
Smart shopping: putting this category in perspective – InfoCons Consumer Protection
The practical takeaway for shoppers is neither alarm nor indifference, but attention. Knowing what a preservative does, recognising it on a label, and understanding that its use is limited by law allows you to judge products calmly and compare them meaningfully. Two similar products can differ substantially in how many additives they contain, and the more informed you are, the easier it is to choose according to your own priorities.
It is also worth remembering that a preservative never acts in isolation on the shelf. Products are formulated as whole recipes, and the same food may combine this class with colours, preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilisers and others, each performing its own job. Comparing similar products side by side often reveals striking differences: one may rely on a long list of additives while another achieves a similar result with only a few. This variety is precisely what gives the informed consumer room to choose.
Above all, InfoCons – Consumer Protection emphasises the cumulative picture. A single product may contain several additives, the same additive may recur across many products in your basket, and a single meal can bring together additives from several sources at once. The real question is therefore not only what each label says, but how many additives you accumulate across your whole shopping and across your day. That is the perspective that turns label-reading into genuine control over your diet, and it is the personal layer of protection that the law itself cannot provide for you.
The InfoCons Additives Calculator: how many additives are really in your basket? – InfoCons Consumer Protection
Understanding the law is one thing; seeing what it means for your own shopping basket is another. A single processed product can contain several additives at once, and an ordinary weekly shop can add up to dozens or even hundreds of additive occurrences once you sum every product together. What is more, the same additive can appear in many different products in the same basket, which means it enters the consumer’s diet repeatedly.
To answer this, InfoCons – Consumer Protection offers consumers the Only Additives Calculator for the food products bought or consumed. It is the only calculator for food shopping that shows the number of additives present and how many times a given additive is found in the shopping basket. Instead of looking at each product in isolation, the consumer gets a complete picture of the whole basket, seeing the real, cumulative number of additives being purchased.
The same logic applies to a single meal. A breakfast, a lunch or a dinner can bring together several processed products, each with its own set of additives. When these products are eaten together, the additives add up. A seemingly simple meal can, in reality, mean the simultaneous consumption of a surprisingly large number of food additives – colours, preservatives, emulsifiers, flavour enhancers, stabilizers and more. That is why the question “how many additives do I consume at one meal?” is just as important as “how many additives am I buying?”
As a practical solution, the InfoCons application helps consumers identify additives quickly. By scanning the barcode of an agri-food product, the app identifies the product and shows the food additives it contains, turning the “E” codes on the label into clear, easy-to-understand information. In this way, consumers can see how many additives are cumulated in their shopping basket or even in a single meal, and can make informed choices for themselves and their families – right there, in front of the shelf.
Signed:
InfoCons Consumer Protection Department of Studies and Comparative Testing