What is it?
Sodium lactate is a salt of lactic acid (E270), the acid made when sugar ferments. It is made by mixing lactic acid from fermentation with a sodium compound, and comes as a syrup or a powder.
E-numbers / Acidity regulators / E325
Sodium lactate
also: Sodium salt of lactic acid · Sodium 2-hydroxypropanoate
A salt of lactic acid that helps cooked meats, bread and desserts keep longer and stay moist. In deli meats it helps hold back Listeria.
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Halal Turkey Thigh (EU origin) 93.8%, Salt, Water, Acidifiers (E325, E262), Glucose Syrup, Flavouring, Antioxidant (E316), Smoke Flavour, Preservative (E250)
E325
Sodium lactate
Sodium lactate is a salt of lactic acid (E270), the acid made when sugar ferments.
111
of the 43,325 UK supermarket foods we checked declare E325 in their ingredients
That is 0.3%, counted by its code or its name.
Only 23% of these labels print “E325”. Most use the name: look for “sodium lactate”.
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 meats28 products1.4% of 1,938
- Fresh meat, poultry and fish17 products0.4% of 4,835
- Cakes, biscuits and desserts9 products0.2% of 3,715
- Cheese8 products0.8% of 1,049
What sodium lactate is, what it does and where you will see it
What does it do?
It works two ways. It steadies acidity, keeping food in a range that slows the growth of microbes. And it holds on to water, leaving less free water for spoilage bugs and food-poisoning bacteria to grow in. Together these help food last and keep its texture.
Where you will see it
Mostly processed and cured meats such as cooked ham, frankfurters, pâté and ready-to-eat chicken and turkey, where it is used with nitrite to hold back Listeria. Also some baked goods to keep them moist, flavoured dairy desserts, and some sauces and dressings. Labels call it sodium lactate or E325.
What the science says
Helps hold back Listeria in cooked meats
Sodium lactate leaves less free water in meat products, which restricts Listeria and spoilage bacteria. Studies in ready-to-eat meats show it delays the point at which bacteria start to grow. It works better still with sodium diacetate.
At 2 to 3%, sodium lactate clearly held back Listeria in cooked, ready-to-eat meats kept in the fridge.
ObservationalJournal of Food Protection, multiple peer-reviewed studies on L. monocytogenes inhibition in RTE meats
Sodium lactate with sodium diacetate controlled Listeria in ready-to-eat deli meats better than either alone, which underpins US government guidance on Listeria.
2014Government guidanceUSDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Compliance Guidelines to Control Listeria monocytogenes
It adds a little sodium
Sodium lactate adds sodium, which matters for people watching salt. But the amounts used are usually small next to the salt already in the same processed foods, so E325 is a small part of their sodium.
UK advisers recommend adults have no more than 2.4g of sodium (6g of salt) a day. Processed and cured meats are among the biggest sources of sodium in UK diets.
2003UK nutrition guidanceSACN, Salt and Health report
European reviewers set no daily limit
European reviewers looked at lactic acid and its salts, sodium lactate included. They found no sign of DNA damage or other harm at the levels used in food, and set no numerical daily limit because the body makes lactic acid and its salts itself.
Reviewers raised no safety issue with lactic acid (E270) and its ammonium, calcium, potassium and sodium salts at permitted levels, and set no daily limit.
2018Regulator reviewEFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF), re-evaluation of lactic acid and its salts as food additives
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
- Processed meat (cooked, cured and ready-to-eat) · Meat preparations · Baked goods · Flavoured dairy desserts · Sauces and condiments · Soups · Cheese products
- Maximum levels
- No set maximum in most foods. Some meat products have set limits.
- History
- Lactic acid and its sodium salt have a long history in food and carried into current EU law from earlier rules. European reviewers completed a formal review in 2018 and found no grounds to restrict it at current use.
Who should be careful
People on a low-sodium diet set by their doctor should know processed meats with E325 add sodium on top of the salt already in them. Check the total salt figure on the nutrition label. People avoiding pork or other meats for diet or faith reasons should check the product itself, not just this additive. Look for sodium lactate or E325 in the ingredients.
The honest read
Sodium lactate is one of the simpler additives. It is the same salt the body makes as a by-product of working muscles, and it is part of the diet through fermented foods. Research has not produced credible concerns at food levels. For most people the practical question is the total salt in the processed meat, not this additive on its own.
Common questions about sodium lactate
Is E325 banned in the UK?
No. Sodium lactate is approved in the UK, kept in UK law after Brexit, and is on the Food Standards Agency's list.
Is E325 the same as salt?
No. It is a salt of lactic acid, not sodium chloride (table salt). It does add sodium, but it tastes different and is used to preserve food and keep it moist, not to flavour it.
What foods contain E325?
Mostly processed and cured meats: cooked ham, frankfurters, pâté, sliced deli meats and ready-to-eat chicken and turkey. It is also in some baked goods, dairy desserts and sauces.
Is E325 vegan?
The additive itself is usually made by fermenting plant sugars and is vegan. But it is most often in meat products, so the food containing it will usually not be vegan.
Sources
- UK FSA Approved Additives and E Numbers
- EU Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives (consolidated)
- EFSA FAF Panel re-evaluation of lactic acid (E 270) and its ammonium, calcium, potassium and sodium salts as food additives (2018)
- USDA FSIS Compliance Guidelines to Control Listeria monocytogenes in Post-lethality Exposed Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Products
- SACN Salt and Health report
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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