E-numbers / Acidity regulators / E294
also: Monosodium malate · Sodium hydrogen malate (malate family)
An acidity regulator that is not an approved food additive in the UK or EU. If you see this code, it should not be in a product sold here.
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E294 is not a permitted food additive in the UK or EU under current food law.
Why it’s worth knowing. E294 is not a permitted food additive in the UK or EU under current food law. Its presence on a UK food label would indicate a labelling or regulatory compliance issue.
Sodium hydrogen malate is the sodium acid salt of malic acid, a naturally occurring fruit acid. It exists as a white crystalline powder and is closely related to E350 (sodium malates) and E296 (malic acid), both of which are approved UK and EU food additives. E294 itself does not appear in the UK FSA approved additives list or in the annexes of the assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008.
In chemistry, sodium hydrogen malate can act as a buffering agent and mild acidulant, adjusting or stabilising the pH of food products. Malic acid and its fully neutralised sodium salt (E350) perform these functions in many approved food categories. However, E294 as a distinct designation has not been formally authorised for use in food in the UK or EU.
E294 should not appear on any UK or EU food label as a permitted additive. If encountered on a product, the relevant authority to contact is the UK Food Standards Agency. Do not confuse with E350 (sodium malates) or E296 (malic acid), which are approved and appear in soft drinks, confectionery, baked goods, and preserves.
The UK Food Standards Agency publishes the complete list of approved food additives permitted for use in the UK. E294 does not appear on that list. The assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008, which forms the basis of the UK's post-Brexit approvals, likewise does not include E294 in its annexes. The approved sodium salt of malic acid is E350. Because E294 has never been formally authorised in the UK or EU, there has been no EFSA safety evaluation published for it as a food additive.
E294 does not appear in the UK FSA approved additives and E-numbers list. The permitted sodium malate additive in UK and EU food law is E350.
EU Regulation 1333/2008 (assimilated into UK law post-Brexit) lists permitted food additives in Annex II. E294 is absent from this annex. E350 (sodium malates) and E296 (malic acid) are the authorised malic acid derivatives.
Health Canada authorised sodium hydrogen malate as a food additive coating agent for unstandardised flavouring preparations used in chewing gum, dry beverage mixes, confectionery, and gelatin dessert powders (Notice of Modification NOM/ADM-0075, effective June 2016). Canada does not use the E294 designation; the substance is listed by its chemical name in Canada's List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Generally Accepted Uses.
Under the Codex Alimentarius General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA), sodium hydrogen DL-malate is catalogued under INS 350(i), not as a separate INS 294 entry. The E294 code is specific to European numbering and does not appear as a standalone Codex INS number.
Everyone, in the sense that no food sold in the UK should contain E294 as a permitted additive. If a product lists E294, the product may have a labelling error or the ingredient may be mislabelled. Look for E294 specifically on the label.
E294 is an entry that crops up in some commercial and database listings of E-numbers, but it lacks formal authorisation in UK or EU food law. The approved equivalents, E296 and E350, are among the most mundane food additives in use: malic acid is a compound found naturally in apples and other fruits, and its salts are long-established ingredients with well-understood profiles and no regulatory red flags. The issue with E294 is purely one of legal status in the UK and EU, not toxicology. The substance has been authorised in Canada under a different designation.
E294 is not listed as a permitted food additive in the UK. It does not appear on the UK Food Standards Agency approved additives list or in the relevant EU regulation that UK law now incorporates. It has not been formally banned by name; it simply has no authorisation to be used as a food additive in the UK or EU.
They are chemically related but legally distinct. E296 is malic acid; E350 covers sodium malates (the mono and di sodium forms). E294, described as sodium hydrogen malate, overlaps chemically with the monosodium form of E350, but the E294 designation itself is not an authorised number in UK or EU food law.
No foods sold in the UK should legally list E294 as an additive because it is not an approved E-number here. If you see it on a UK product label, that may indicate a labelling error. The related approved additives E296 and E350 appear in soft drinks, sweets, jams, baked goods, and other acidified foods.
Sodium hydrogen malate is a synthetic salt of a naturally occurring acid and does not derive from animal products, so it would be considered vegan in chemical terms. However, because E294 is not an approved food additive in the UK or EU, the question of vegan status is secondary to its lack of legal authorisation.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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