Sodium ascorbate

also: Sodium salt of ascorbic acid · Sodium L-ascorbate · Vitamin C salt

A form of vitamin C. It stops fats and colours going stale, and in bacon and ham it fixes the pink colour and cuts the nitrite left behind.

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An ingredient list from the cooked and cured meats aisle

Pork (97%), Salt, Pistachio Nuts (0.8%), Sugar, Antioxidant: Sodium Ascorbate, Natural Flavourings, White Pepper, Garlic, Preservative: Sodium Nitrite

E301Antioxidant

Sodium ascorbate

Sodium ascorbate is a salt of ascorbic acid, which is vitamin C.

VeganVegetarian

UK supermarket foods that declare E301: 1,751 of the 43,325 we checked (4%)

Counted by its code or its name in the ingredient list.

Only 15% of these labels print “E301”. Most use the name: look for “sodium ascorbate”.

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

How common it is in UK food, by aisle

Cooked and cured meats565 products29% of 1,938
Fresh meat, poultry and fish512 products11% of 4,835
Ready meals and pizza329 products6.8% of 4,833
Bread and bakery192 products5.2% of 3,682

What sodium ascorbate is, what it does and where you will see it

What is it?

Sodium ascorbate is a salt of ascorbic acid, which is vitamin C. It is a white or yellowish powder that dissolves in water more easily than ascorbic acid, which makes it handy in industrial food processing.

What does it do?

It is an antioxidant: it mops up the unstable molecules that would otherwise make fats, colours and flavours go stale. In cured meat it speeds up the reaction that fixes the pink colour and leaves less nitrite in the finished product. It can also steady acidity.

Where you will see it

Mostly in cured and processed meats such as bacon, ham, sausages and cooked pork. Also in tinned and jarred fruit and vegetables, fruit juices and drinks, breakfast cereals and some snacks. UK labels call it sodium ascorbate or E301.

What the science says

Linked to type 2 diabetes in a large French study

In 2026 a NutriNet-Santé analysis of 108,723 French adults found sodium ascorbate was one of 12 preservatives individually linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. These are observational studies.

Among 108,723 French adults followed from 2009 to 2023, with 1,131 new cases of type 2 diabetes, sodium ascorbate (E301) was one of 12 preservatives individually linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

2026Observational study in peopleNature Communications, NutriNet-Santé cohort

It adds sodium

Sodium ascorbate carries about 131mg of sodium per gram. Taken as a supplement, in gram doses, it can add a meaningful amount of sodium, which matters for people managing high blood pressure.

UK guidance is to limit total sodium to lower heart and circulation risk.

2003UK nutrition guidanceSACN Sodium and Health report

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: Cured and processed meats (bacon, ham, cooked pork, sausages) · Tinned and preserved fruit and vegetables · Fruit juices and soft drinks · Breakfast cereals · Infant formula, as a carrier for vitamins · Fats and oils
Maximum levels: Depends on the food. In most foods there is no set maximum.
History: European reviewers looked at the ascorbates (E300 to E302) together and kept them approved with no numerical daily limit. A 2025 EU change allowed it in vitamin A preparations used in infant formula.

Who should be careful

People on a sodium-restricted diet who also take sodium ascorbate as a high-dose supplement, not from food, should count its sodium. Look for sodium ascorbate or E301 on the label.

The honest read

Sodium ascorbate is a form of vitamin C. Regulators set no numerical daily limit. A large 2026 French study linked sodium ascorbate to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. It is one observational finding.

Common questions about sodium ascorbate

Is E301 banned in the UK?

No. Sodium ascorbate is on the Food Standards Agency's approved list and allowed in a wide range of foods.

Is sodium ascorbate the same as vitamin C?

It is a salt of ascorbic acid, which is vitamin C. It is not chemically identical to ascorbic acid, but it works the same as a vitamin C source.

What foods contain E301?

Mostly cured and processed meats such as bacon, ham and sausages, where it keeps the colour and cuts leftover nitrite. It is also in tinned vegetables, fruit juices, breakfast cereals and some snacks.