What is it?
Sodium acetate is a salt made from acetic acid, the acid in vinegar, and a sodium compound. Small amounts occur naturally in fermented foods. It is a white powder with a faint smell of vinegar.
E-numbers / Acidity regulators / E262
Sodium acetate
also: Sodium ethanoate · E262(i) sodium acetate · E262(ii) sodium diacetate
A salt of vinegar. It keeps mould off packaged bread and gives salt and vinegar crisps their tang.
Scan a barcode to check a food for sodium acetate. NutraSafe Pro · £3.99/month · iOS
Ostrich Meat (90%), Spice Premix (Crumb (Maize Flour, Salt), Tapioca Starch, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Sunflower Oil, Herbs, Spices, Stabiliser: Methyl Cellulose, Pepper, Preservatives: Sodium Lactate, Sodium Acetate)
E262
Sodium acetate
Sodium acetate is a salt made from acetic acid, the acid in vinegar, and a sodium compound.
VeganVegetarian
225
of the 43,325 UK supermarket foods we checked declare E262 in their ingredients
That is 0.5%, counted by its code or its name.
Only 12% of these labels print “E262”. Most use the name: look for “sodium diacetate”.
Counted by NutraSafe from UK supermarket ingredient lists, September 2026. How we counted
How common it is in UK food, by aisle
- Fresh meat, poultry and fish71 products1.5% of 4,835
- Crisps and savoury snacks51 products1.5% of 3,428
- Cooked and cured meats32 products1.7% of 1,938
- Bread and bakery21 products0.6% of 3,682
What sodium acetate is, what it does and where you will see it
What does it do?
It lowers and steadies how acidic a food is, which holds back mould and bacteria and helps food last longer. It also stops acidity swinging sharply during processing. In flavoured snacks it gives the salt and vinegar tang.
Where you will see it
Part-baked and packaged bread, where it slows mould, salt and vinegar crisps and snacks, ready-made sauces, pickles and some ready meals. Labels call it sodium acetate or E262.
What the science says
Acetates 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 acetates as a group had 15% more cancer overall and 25% more breast cancer, and that sodium acetates were linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. 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 acetates as a group was linked to a 15% higher risk of cancer overall and a 25% higher risk of breast cancer.
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, sodium acetates (E262) was one of 12 preservatives individually linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
2026Observational study in peopleNature Communications, NutriNet-Santé cohort
The body treats it like vinegar and salt
Once eaten, sodium acetate splits into sodium and acetate. The body makes acetate itself when it digests fat and when gut bacteria ferment food, and burns it for energy in the usual way. It does not build up.
Acetate is something the body makes itself. European reviewers raised no safety issue with sodium acetate at the levels used in food and set no numerical daily limit.
Regulator reviewEFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources (ANS)
It adds a little sodium
Like any sodium salt, it adds sodium to the diet. For people cutting sodium for blood pressure or kidney health, every sodium-containing additive adds to the day's total. The amount from E262 is small, but it is not zero.
Observational UK diet surveys show bread and baked goods are the biggest single source of sodium for UK adults, partly because of the salt and sodium additives used to make them.
2019National survey, observationalNational Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), Public Health England
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
- Permitted foods
- Bread and baked goods · Snacks and flavoured crisps · Sauces and condiments · Pickles and relishes · Ready meals
- Maximum levels
- No set maximum, as long as makers use no more than they need.
- History
- Sodium acetate has been an approved additive in the EU and UK for many decades. No bans, restrictions or warning labels have been applied.
Who should be careful
People on a low-sodium diet set by their doctor should know it adds to total sodium. Look for sodium acetate or E262 in the ingredients, and check the salt figure on the nutrition panel.
The honest read
The body handles sodium acetate as it handles vinegar and salt, through routes it uses all day for ordinary food, and regulators have raised no issue at food amounts. The newer question comes from a large 2026 French study, which linked acetates as a group to 15% more cancer and 25% more breast cancer, and sodium acetates to type 2 diabetes. It is observational and has not been repeated, but it is about these additives themselves. The other practical note is sodium: anyone cutting down should count every sodium ingredient, this one included.
Common questions about sodium acetate
Is E262 banned in the UK?
No. Sodium acetate is approved in food in the UK and the EU.
Does E262 contain vinegar?
Not exactly. It is a salt of acetic acid, the acid that makes vinegar sour. The body handles the two the same way, but sodium acetate is a dry powder, not liquid vinegar.
What foods contain E262?
Mostly packaged bread and rolls, where it slows mould, salt and vinegar crisps and snacks, sauces, pickles and some ready meals. Look for sodium acetate or E262 in the ingredients.
Is E262 vegan?
Yes. It is made from acetic acid and sodium compounds, with nothing from animals.
Sources
- UK FSA Approved Additives and E Numbers
- EU Regulation 1333/2008 on food additives (Annex II)
- National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) Rolling Programme, Public Health England
- Hasenböhler A et al. (2026) Intake of food additive preservatives and incidence of cancer: results from the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort, The BMJ
- (2026) Associations between preservative food additives and type 2 diabetes incidence in the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort, Nature Communications
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
It's the only app that does thisUKJaneK
You Need This AppGmac2005
Best AppGK getting skinny UK App Store reviews
See this on every food you scan
NutraSafe reads the label and puts every additive into plain English, with the source, right in the app.
NutraSafe Pro · £3.99/month · iOS