Thickener · EU 501
Potassium Carbonate
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 Carbonate 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 #135 of 417.
- #135 of 417 by tracked product prevalence
The verdict
Potassium Carbonate is FDA-approved, and no U.S. state has moved to restrict it. By Open Food Facts product count it sits #135 of 417 among additives with tracked product presence (68th percentile).
- 4/5
- Low Risk
- Approved
- FDA status
- #135 of 417
- product-prevalence rank
- 0
- state regulations
Product-footprint and regulatory snapshot
Potassium Carbonate: 100 tracked U.S. products (common band, #135 of 417) frame how often this additive appears on shelves.
| Property | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tracked Products | 100 · #135 of 417 | Open Food Facts (US) |
| FDA Status | Approved | FDA SAFFA |
| EU Status | Approved | EC 1333/2008 |
| E-Number | 501 | EU additive register |
| CAS Number | - | CAS Registry |
| Category | Thickener | 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 Carbonate?
Potassium Carbonate is a food additive (501) classified as thickener.
Common Uses
Shelf-footprint peer axes
Nationwide peers for a common OFF footprint
Nearest OFF product-count peers (100 tracked here); safety-score column omitted on prevalence-led pages.
Nearest OFF product count to 100
Nearest other additives by Open Food Facts product count (floored at ≥50).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Potassium Carbonate safe to consume?
Potassium Carbonate scores 4/5 (Low Risk). FDA status is Approved. On the Open Food Facts U.S. sample it is a common additive (100 tracked products, #135 of 417), so product footprint, not just the score label, frames how widely a shopper will meet it.
What is Potassium Carbonate used for in food?
Potassium Carbonate shows up as Sauces, soups, dairy products, baked goods in the Thickener class, and the OFF sample puts it in the common footprint band (100 products).
Where does Potassium Carbonate sit among food additives PlainIngredients tracks?
Among additives with at least one tracked product, it ranks #135 of 417 by Open Food Facts product count. See /methodology#corpus-placement for the ranking bases.