E-numbers / Acidity regulators / E295
also: Diammonium malate · Ammonium malate (malate family)
Ammonium formate is an animal feed preservative authorised in the EU. It does not appear on the UK or EU approved list of human food additives.
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This is not on the UK list of approved food additives, so you will not normally see this E number on a UK label.
Why it’s worth knowing. This is not on the UK list of approved food additives, so you will not normally see this E number on a UK label.
Ammonium formate is the ammonium salt of formic acid. It is a white crystalline solid with a faint ammonia odour. Note: this E number is sometimes incorrectly listed as 'ammonium malate', which is actually E349. E295 in EU legislation refers to ammonium formate, authorised as a feed additive, not a human food additive.
In animal feed it acts as a preservative and acidulant, lowering pH to inhibit microbial growth. It has no established function in human food products and is not listed in the EU or UK permitted food additive annexes covering food for human consumption.
E295 does not appear in human food products in the UK or EU. It is used in animal feed formulations. If you see 'E295' on a human food label in the UK, this would be a labelling error or a misidentification. It would not appear on a UK or EU food label.
EFSA evaluated ammonium formate as a feed additive in 2020 and concluded it was of low concern for target animal species at the intended use levels. The evaluation was specific to animal feed, not human food use. No human dietary intake assessment was performed because it is not authorised for human food.
EFSA's Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) assessed ammonium formate (E 295) and found it acceptable as a preservative in feed for all animal species at the proposed maximum levels.
Formate is a normal metabolite produced in the human body in small amounts. At very high doses, formic acid is toxic, causing metabolic acidosis, as seen in methanol poisoning where formate accumulates. At the low levels present in trace dietary exposure, formate is metabolised and excreted. There is no established concern at background dietary exposure levels.
Formic acid and formates occur naturally in many foods including honey, fruits and some fermented products, and are normal metabolites in humans. Toxicity from formate is dose-dependent and associated with high acute exposures, not background dietary levels.
E295 is not present in human food products sold in the UK or EU. No avoidance guidance applies to human food consumers.
E295 appears in some online additive databases labelled as 'ammonium malate' and described as an acidity regulator in food. This is a data error: ammonium malate carries E number E349. E295 is ammonium formate, which is authorised in EU legislation only as an animal feed preservative, not a human food additive. It is not in the UK or EU approved food additive lists for human consumption and should not appear on any UK food label.
E295 (ammonium formate) is not on the UK approved food additives list for human food. It is not authorised for use in food sold to people in the UK or EU. It is authorised only as an animal feed additive. So while it is not specifically 'banned', it simply has no approval for human food use.
No. A number of online databases incorrectly list E295 as 'ammonium malate', but this is wrong. E295 is ammonium formate. Ammonium malate is a different compound with the E number E349.
No human food products in the UK or EU are permitted to contain E295. It is used in animal feed. If you are looking for ammonium malate as an acidity regulator in food, the correct E number to look for is E349.
Ammonium formate is a synthetic salt and does not involve animal-derived ingredients in its production. However, because it is not authorised for use in human food in the UK or EU, the question of its vegan status in food products does not arise.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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