E-numbers / Acidity regulators / E350
also: Sodium malate · Sodium hydrogen malate · Sodium DL-malate
The sodium salts of malic acid, a naturally occurring fruit acid. Used to adjust acidity and add a mild tart flavour in processed foods.
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Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Pork Gelatine, Beef Gelatine, Acids:Citric Acid, Malic Acid; Gelling Agent:Pectin; Fruit And Vegetable Concentrates: Spirulina, Blackcurrant, Carrot; Sodium Malate, Flavouring.
Sodium malates are the sodium salts of malic acid, an organic acid found naturally in apples, pears, cherries and many other fruits.
Sodium malates are the sodium salts of malic acid, an organic acid found naturally in apples, pears, cherries and many other fruits. There are two forms: sodium malate (E350i, the monosodium salt) and disodium malate (E350ii, the disodium salt). Both are white, water-soluble crystalline powders produced commercially by neutralising malic acid with sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate.
As an acidity regulator, sodium malates buffer the pH of food, keeping it stable during processing and storage. They donate or absorb hydrogen ions to hold acidity in a target range, which affects flavour balance, texture, colour stability and how well preservatives perform. They also act as a mild sequestrant, binding trace metals that could otherwise cause off-flavours or oxidation. The malate anion contributes a soft, rounded tartness that rounds out sharp acidic notes.
Found mainly in fruit-flavoured confectionery, fruit gums, boiled sweets, soft drinks, fruit preparations, jams and preserves, salad dressings, sauces, bakery products and some processed meats. On a UK ingredient label it appears as 'sodium malate', 'disodium malate' or 'acidity regulator (E350)'.
Malic acid is a normal intermediate in the Krebs cycle, the energy-producing process that runs in every human cell. The body metabolises the malate released from sodium malates through this pathway, so no accumulation occurs at food-use levels. There is no evidence from human or animal studies of any toxic effect at intakes achievable through food.
EFSA's Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources evaluated malic acid and its salts and concluded there was no need for a numerical acceptable daily intake, as metabolism is well understood and the substance is of low toxicological concern at food-use levels.
Because sodium malates contain sodium, they contribute to the total sodium content of a product in the same way as any other sodium salt. At typical use levels in food they are not a meaningful source of sodium compared with salt added for flavour, but their presence is captured in the nutrition declaration's 'Salt' figure. People managing sodium intake for blood pressure reasons should check the overall salt content of products rather than focusing on this specific additive.
UK dietary guidance recommends adults consume no more than 6g of salt (2.4g sodium) per day; sodium from all food additives including acidity regulators counts toward that total.
No group needs to specifically avoid sodium malates. People on a medically supervised low-sodium diet should account for it as part of the overall sodium content shown in the product's salt declaration. Look for 'acidity regulator (E350)', 'sodium malate' or 'disodium malate' on the label.
Sodium malates are among the more unremarkable additives in the UK food supply. Malic acid itself is what gives apples and sour sweets their sharp flavour; the sodium salts are simply a stabilised, buffered form of the same compound used to control acidity in manufactured products. Decades of use across multiple food categories, normal cellular metabolism of the malate ion, and a regulatory review confirming no numerical limit is needed all point in the same direction. The only practical consideration is the sodium they add, which is captured in the nutrition label's salt figure like any other sodium salt in the recipe.
No. Sodium malates (E350i and E350ii) are permitted food additives in the UK under the UK FSA approved-additives list, carried over from assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008. They remain approved following the UK's exit from the EU.
Malic acid occurs naturally in many fruits, especially apples. The sodium malates used as food additives are produced commercially by neutralising malic acid with a sodium compound, so the resulting additive is manufactured rather than directly extracted from food, though the starting acid can be derived from natural sources.
Sodium malates appear in fruit-flavoured confectionery, boiled sweets, fruit gums, soft drinks, jams, fruit preserves, salad dressings, sauces, bakery products and some processed meats. Check the ingredients list for 'acidity regulator (E350)', 'sodium malate' or 'disodium malate'.
Yes. Sodium malates are produced from malic acid and sodium compounds; no animal-derived ingredients are involved in their manufacture.
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