FDA Status
GRAS
Acidity Regulator · CAS 68-04-2 · EU E331
Sodium Citrate
FDA status: GRAS. EU: Approved. No U.S. state has enacted a specific ban yet.
5.0 / 5
Composite safety Generally Safe
Score 5 of 5
Sodium Citrate: 5/5 (Generally Safe)
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Sodium Citrate is classified GRAS by the FDA, and no U.S. state has moved to restrict it independently of federal policy. Its composite safety score is 5 out of 5 (Generally Safe), and the European Union separately classifies it as approved. It is a top-5% most widely-used additive.
- 98th percentile by tracked product prevalence
The verdict
Sodium Citrate is classified GRAS by the FDA, and no U.S. state has moved to restrict it. It is a top-5% most widely-used additive (98th percentile by tracked product count).
- 5/5
- Generally Safe
- GRAS
- FDA status
- 98th pctile
- by product prevalence
- 0
- state regulations
Sodium Citrate (E331), CAS 68-04-2, is a acidity regulator additive holding a composite safety score of 5 out of 5 (Generally Safe). According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Substances Added to Food inventory, it is currently classified as GRAS, while the European Union lists it as Approved. This ingredient appears in approximately 3,699 tracked food products across our database. It is most commonly used as Processed cheese, gelatin, beverages.
No U.S. state has enacted specific legislation targeting Sodium Citrate to date, keeping federal FDA classification as the operative standard. State-level food safety legislation remains active nationally, and that picture may shift as new bills advance.
No major peer-reviewed health concerns are presently documented for Sodium Citrate at consumer exposure levels, though scientific review is ongoing and positions can shift. All figures above draw on FDA SAFFA inventory records, EU food additive regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, EFSA scientific opinions where published, and legislative records from individual U.S. states.
Regulatory Snapshot
| Property | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FDA Status | GRAS | FDA SAFFA |
| EU Status | Approved | EC 1333/2008 |
| E-Number | E331 | EU additive register |
| CAS Number | 68-04-2 | CAS Registry |
| Category | Acidity Regulator | FDA functional class |
| Composite Safety Score | 5 / 5 (Generally Safe) | PlainIngredients methodology |
| EFSA ADI | Not established | EFSA scientific opinion |
| U.S. State Actions | 0 states | State legislative records |
| Tracked Products | 3,699 | Open Food Facts (US) |
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.
EU Status
Approved
E331
U.S. State Regulations
0 states
None enacted
Safety Assessment
Sodium Citrate's 5/5 (Generally Safe) score reflects where this specific ingredient lands on that scale. The FDA classifies Sodium Citrate as "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS), meaning qualified experts consider it safe under intended conditions of use.
How Sodium Citrate compares
Where a safety score of 5/5 falls among all 4,509 scored ingredients tracked on PlainIngredients.
Ingredients by safety score (Sodium Citrate highlighted)
31 of 4,509 scored ingredients (0.7%) share a safety score of 5/5.
What is Sodium Citrate?
Salt of citric acid.
Common Uses
Processed cheese, gelatin, beverages
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sodium Citrate safe to consume?
Sodium Citrate has a safety score of 5/5 (Generally Safe). It is approved by the FDA for use in food. As with all food additives, moderation is advisable.
What is Sodium Citrate used for in food?
Sodium Citrate is commonly used as: Processed cheese, gelatin, beverages. It belongs to the Acidity Regulator category of food additives.
Is Sodium Citrate banned in any US states?
Currently, no US states have enacted specific bans or regulations targeting Sodium Citrate. However, state food safety legislation is evolving rapidly.
What is the difference between FDA and EU regulation of Sodium Citrate?
The FDA classifies Sodium Citrate as "GRAS", while the EU status is "Approved" (E331). The FDA and EU use separate evaluation frameworks, the EU often applies the precautionary principle, sometimes banning additives that remain approved in the US. Always check both jurisdictions when evaluating food additive safety.
What health concerns are associated with Sodium Citrate?
No major health concerns have been widely documented for Sodium Citrate at this time. It holds a safety score of 5/5 (Generally Safe). As with all food additives, ongoing scientific review may identify new findings.
How is the safety score for Sodium Citrate calculated?
The safety score of 5/5 for Sodium Citrate is a composite assessment based on FDA regulatory status, EU approval status, published scientific research on health effects, and state-level legislative actions. A score of 1 means "Banned / Avoid" and 5 means "Generally Safe." The score is updated as new regulatory actions or scientific evidence emerge.
Data Sources
- FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) Inventory
- EU Food Additive Regulations (EC) No 1333/2008
- State food safety legislation and bill records
Related Acidity Regulator Ingredients
What to do about Sodium Citrate
Use the regulatory picture, not a single score, to decide.
- Check the FDA status (GRAS) and EU status (Approved) before assuming it is risk-free. How we score
- Compare it against the most-restricted additives in the U.S. supply. View rankings
- Scan a whole ingredient label at once to flag the concerning entries. Label checker
Safety scores summarise regulatory status and published concerns; they are not medical or dietary advice.
Every figure on PlainIngredients is rendered directly from FDA, EU, EFSA and U.S. state regulatory records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.