FDA Status
GRAS
Acidity Regulator · CAS 87-69-4 · EU E334
Tartaric Acid
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
Tartaric Acid: 5/5 (Generally Safe)
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Tartaric Acid 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 more widely-used than most tracked additives.
- 78th percentile by tracked product prevalence
The verdict
Tartaric Acid is classified GRAS by the FDA, and no U.S. state has moved to restrict it. It is more widely-used than most tracked additives (78th percentile by tracked product count).
- 5/5
- Generally Safe
- GRAS
- FDA status
- 78th pctile
- by product prevalence
- 0
- state regulations
Tartaric Acid (E334), CAS 87-69-4, 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 302 tracked food products across our database. It is most commonly used as Wine, baking powder, candy.
No U.S. state has enacted specific legislation targeting Tartaric Acid 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 Tartaric Acid 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 | E334 | EU additive register |
| CAS Number | 87-69-4 | 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 | 302 | 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
E334
U.S. State Regulations
0 states
None enacted
Safety Assessment
Tartaric Acid's 5/5 (Generally Safe) score reflects where this specific ingredient lands on that scale. The FDA classifies Tartaric Acid as "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS), meaning qualified experts consider it safe under intended conditions of use.
How Tartaric Acid compares
Where a safety score of 5/5 falls among all 4,509 scored ingredients tracked on PlainIngredients.
Ingredients by safety score (Tartaric Acid highlighted)
31 of 4,509 scored ingredients (0.7%) share a safety score of 5/5.
What is Tartaric Acid?
Natural acid found in grapes.
Common Uses
Wine, baking powder, candy
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tartaric Acid safe to consume?
Tartaric Acid 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 Tartaric Acid used for in food?
Tartaric Acid is commonly used as: Wine, baking powder, candy. It belongs to the Acidity Regulator category of food additives.
Is Tartaric Acid banned in any US states?
Currently, no US states have enacted specific bans or regulations targeting Tartaric Acid. However, state food safety legislation is evolving rapidly.
What is the difference between FDA and EU regulation of Tartaric Acid?
The FDA classifies Tartaric Acid as "GRAS", while the EU status is "Approved" (E334). 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 Tartaric Acid?
No major health concerns have been widely documented for Tartaric Acid 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 Tartaric Acid calculated?
The safety score of 5/5 for Tartaric Acid 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 Tartaric Acid
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.