E-numbers / Acidity regulators / E296
also: DL-malic acid · apple acid · hydroxybutanedioic acid · 2-hydroxysuccinic acid
The sour acid in apples. It gives sweets and drinks a sharp, lingering tang and sets how acidic they are.
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Water, Blackcurrant Juice From Concentrate (12%), Flavourings, Antioxidant: Ascorbic Acid; Colour: Anthocyanins; Acid:Malic Acid; Sweetener: Sucralose.
Malic acid is the acid that makes apples, cherries, grapes and rhubarb taste sharp.
1,277
of the 43,325 UK supermarket foods we checked declare E296 in their ingredients
That is 2.9%, counted by its code or its name.
Counted by NutraSafe from UK supermarket ingredient lists, September 2026. How we counted
Malic acid is the acid that makes apples, cherries, grapes and rhubarb taste sharp. For food use it is also made in a factory from other acids, and the two versions are chemically the same. The body makes and uses it too, as part of how cells get energy.
It makes food more acidic, which protects flavour and holds back microbes. It gives a sharp, clean sourness that lasts longer and tastes smoother than citric acid, which is why sour sweets and soft drinks use it. It also locks up traces of metal that could otherwise make food go rancid or change colour.
Sour sweets and boiled sweets, fizzy drinks and fruit squashes, fruit desserts and jellies, jams, baked goods, wine and cider. Labels call it malic acid or E296.
The international expert committee and European reviewers have both looked at malic acid and found no basis for a numerical daily limit. The body already handles a lot of it, from fruit and from its own chemistry.
The international committee found nothing that called for a numerical daily limit, and said intake from permitted food use is far below any level of concern.
European reviewers looked again at malic acid and its salts (E296, E350, E351, E352), kept them approved with no numerical daily limit, and saw no evidence of harm at normal levels.
Malic acid adds to how acidic a food or drink is. Teeth that are often bathed in acidic food and drink are linked to worn enamel. This is true of acidic food in general, not malic acid in particular.
Studies that observed people found that often having acidic fizzy drinks and sour sweets, which usually contain malic or citric acid, is linked to worn tooth enamel.
Daily limit. None set.
No group is advised to avoid it. People who often eat and drink acidic things should know they could wear down tooth enamel over time. Look for malic acid or E296 on the label.
Malic acid is one of the most ordinary food acids in use. It is in fruit people eat every day, and the body's cells use it to make energy. Research and regulators have not found a health concern with it as an additive. The practical point is the one that applies to any acidic food or drink: regular acid wears down tooth enamel over time.
No. Malic acid is approved in the UK and is on the Food Standards Agency's list. It has never been banned or restricted in the UK or EU.
Yes. It is the main acid that makes apples and many other fruits taste sharp. The factory-made version is chemically identical.
Mostly sour sweets, fizzy drinks, fruit squashes, jams, wine and cider, and some baked goods. It is also added to diet and sugar-free products to replace the depth of flavour sugar gives.
Yes. It comes from plants or is made in a factory, with nothing from animals.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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