E-numbers / Acidity regulators / E260

Acetic acid

also: Ethanoic acid · Vinegar acid · Glacial acetic acid

The acid in vinegar. It sharpens flavour and makes food acidic enough to slow the bacteria that spoil it.

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An ingredient list from the sauces, dressings and condiments aisle

Water, Sugar, Apples, Barley Malt Vinegar, Modified Maize Starch, Acetic Acid, Oranges, Tomato Purée, Salt, Spices, Colour: Caramel (E150D), Flavouring

E260Acidity regulator

Acetic acid

Acetic acid is the acid that gives vinegar its sharp smell and taste.

VeganVegetarian

936

of the 43,325 UK supermarket foods we checked declare E260 in their ingredients

That is 2.2%, counted by its code or its name.

Only 4.9% of these labels print “E260”. Most use the name: look for “acetic acid”.

Counted by NutraSafe from UK supermarket ingredient lists, September 2026. How we counted

How common it is in UK food, by aisle

Sauces, dressings and condiments270 products9.7% of 2,776
Ready meals and pizza232 products4.8% of 4,833
Bread and bakery142 products3.9% of 3,682
Cooked and cured meats60 products3.1% of 1,938

What acetic acid is, what it does and where you will see it

What is it?

Acetic acid is the acid that gives vinegar its sharp smell and taste. For food it is made by fermenting alcohol, the same process that turns wine or cider into vinegar. It is the same substance as the acid in vinegar.

What does it do?

Making food more acidic holds back bacteria, moulds and yeasts, so food lasts longer. The sourness also balances sweetness and sharpens flavour. In bread it can slow staling and improve the texture of the crumb.

Where you will see it

Pickles, pickled vegetables, mayonnaise, salad dressings, chutney, ketchup, brown sauce, bread and ready-made salads, and some crisps and snack seasonings with a tangy taste. UK labels call it acetic acid or E260.

What the science says

Linked to cancer and type 2 diabetes in large French studies

In 2026 two NutriNet-Santé analyses of more than 100,000 French adults reported that people who ate more acetic acid as an additive had 12% more cancer overall and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. This is about the added acid, not vinegar as such. These are observational studies: they show links, not proof that the additive causes the disease.

Among 105,260 French adults followed for an average of 7.5 years, higher intake of acetic acid as an additive was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer overall.

2026Observational study in peopleHasenböhler et al., The BMJ, NutriNet-Santé cohort

Among 108,723 French adults followed from 2009 to 2023, with 1,131 new cases of type 2 diabetes, acetic acid (E260) was one of 12 preservatives individually linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

2026Observational study in peopleNature Communications, NutriNet-Santé cohort

Acidic food can wear down teeth

Teeth often bathed in acidic food and drink, including things made with acetic acid, are more likely to wear down. The risk depends on how often and how long teeth are exposed, not on acetic acid being toxic. In a normal diet it is much like eating salad with a vinegar dressing.

Acidic food and drink is a main cause of tooth erosion, and products with acetic acid add to that risk when eaten often.

ObservationalUK NHS guidance on tooth erosion and acidic food

Small studies suggest vinegar can blunt the blood sugar rise after a meal

Several small studies have looked at whether vinegar slows how fast the stomach empties and softens the rise in blood sugar after a meal. There is a real but modest effect. The studies are small and short, and most used more acetic acid than food seasoning contains. It is something to know about, not a treatment.

In a small review of studies, vinegar with or before a meal was linked to a lower rise in blood sugar afterwards, in people with and without type 2 diabetes.

2006Review of small studiesJohnston & Gaas, Medscape General Medicine

In a randomised crossover study, acetic acid slowed stomach emptying and lowered the blood sugar response to white bread.

2005Randomised trial in peopleOstman et al., European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

No daily limit, after thousands of years in the diet

Europe's food scientists found no evidence of harm at the concentrations used in food, and set no numerical daily limit. That reflects thousands of years of vinegar in the human diet and repeated reviews that found no reason for concern.

Europe's food scientists set no numerical daily limit for acetic acid, judging that the amounts from food raise no toxicity issue.

Regulator reviewEFSA Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) opinion

Where it stands with the regulators

Approved in the UK and the EU

Daily limit. None set.

Legal basis: On the Food Standards Agency's approved list for Great Britain, as an acidity regulator
Permitted foods: Pickled vegetables and fruit · Sauces and condiments such as mayonnaise, ketchup, dressings and brown sauce · Bread and cakes · Chutneys and relishes · Ready-made salads · Snack seasonings · Fish and seafood products · Many other foods, at no more than is needed
Maximum levels: No set maximum, as long as makers use no more than they need.
History: Acetic acid has been on the EU and UK approved lists since additive law was first harmonised. It has never been restricted, no ban has been proposed, and no review has raised a concern. Europe's food scientists reviewed it before European reviewers took over, and it has not needed a full new review because no hazard has emerged.

Who should be careful

People with bad tooth erosion or acid reflux may want to cut down on very acidic foods in general, including vinegar-heavy sauces and pickles. No group is flagged as at risk from acetic acid as an additive. Look for acetic acid or E260 if you are tracking acidic ingredients for your teeth or stomach.

The honest read

Acetic acid is the same substance as the acid in malt, cider or balsamic vinegar, and regulators have set no numerical daily limit for it. That picture was disturbed in 2026, when a large French study linked higher intake of acetic acid added to packaged food with 12% more cancer and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. It is one set of observational findings, about the added acid rather than vinegar at the table, and it has not changed regulators' position. Other research looks at whether vinegar modestly helps blood sugar after meals, though that work is early and the effects are small.

Common questions about acetic acid

Is E260 banned in the UK?

No. Acetic acid is approved in UK food. It has never been restricted or needed a warning label.

Is E260 just vinegar?

Not exactly. Vinegar is acetic acid diluted in water, typically 4 to 8 percent, with other flavours. E260 is the acetic acid itself, the part that makes every vinegar sour. As an additive it is added pure or concentrated and diluted in the food.

What foods contain E260?

Pickles, gherkins, pickled onions, mayonnaise, salad dressings, ketchup, brown sauce, chutney, some breads, ready-made salads, some crisps and snack seasonings, and some processed fish and seafood.