Preservative · EU 261
Potassium Acetate
FDA status: Approved. EU: Approved. No U.S. state has enacted a specific ban yet.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Potassium Acetate is FDA-approved, and no U.S. state has moved to restrict it independently of federal policy. Its composite safety score is 4 out of 5 (Low Risk), and the European Union separately classifies it as approved. By tracked product count it ranks #124 of 417.
- #124 of 417 by tracked product prevalence
The verdict
Potassium Acetate is FDA-approved, and no U.S. state has moved to restrict it. By Open Food Facts product count it sits #124 of 417 among additives with tracked product presence (70th percentile).
- 4/5
- Low Risk
- Approved
- FDA status
- #124 of 417
- product-prevalence rank
- 0
- state regulations
Product-footprint and regulatory snapshot
Potassium Acetate: 122 tracked U.S. products (common band, #124 of 417) frame how often this additive appears on shelves.
| Property | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tracked Products | 122 · #124 of 417 | Open Food Facts (US) |
| FDA Status | Approved | FDA SAFFA |
| EU Status | Approved | EC 1333/2008 |
| E-Number | 261 | EU additive register |
| CAS Number | - | CAS Registry |
| Category | Preservative | FDA functional class |
| Composite Safety Score | 4 / 5 (Low Risk) | PlainIngredients methodology |
| EFSA ADI | Not established | EFSA scientific opinion |
| U.S. State Actions | 0 states | State legislative records |
Values reflect official agency classifications as published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Union's regulatory framework. See our methodology for scoring details.
What is Potassium Acetate?
Potassium Acetate is a food additive (261) classified as preservative.
Common Uses
Shelf-footprint peer axes
Nationwide peers for a common OFF footprint
Nearest OFF product-count peers (122 tracked here); safety-score column omitted on prevalence-led pages.
Nearest OFF product count to 122
Nearest other additives by Open Food Facts product count (floored at ≥50).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Potassium Acetate safe to consume?
Potassium Acetate scores 4/5 (Low Risk). FDA status is Approved. On the Open Food Facts U.S. sample it is a common additive (122 tracked products, #124 of 417), so product footprint, not just the score label, frames how widely a shopper will meet it.
What is Potassium Acetate used for in food?
Potassium Acetate shows up as Processed foods, baked goods, beverages in the Preservative class, and the OFF sample puts it in the common footprint band (122 products).
Where does Potassium Acetate sit among food additives PlainIngredients tracks?
Among additives with at least one tracked product, it ranks #124 of 417 by Open Food Facts product count. See /methodology#corpus-placement for the ranking bases.