E-numbers / Acidity regulators / E355

Adipic acid

also: Hexanedioic acid · Adipinic acid

A naturally occurring organic acid used to add a mild tartness and regulate acidity in processed foods such as dessert mixes and soft drinks.

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An ingredient list from the cakes, biscuits and desserts aisle

Cane Sugar, Gelling Agent (Carrageenan), Adipic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Nature Identical Mango Flavour, Colour: (E100, E102)

E355Acidity regulator

Adipic acid

Adipic acid is a six-carbon dicarboxylic acid found in small amounts in beetroot juice and other plants.

VeganVegetarian

How common it is in UK food

UK supermarket foods that declare E355: 10 of the 43,325 we checked (under 0.1%)

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

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

What adipic acid is, what it does and where you will see it

What is it?

Adipic acid is a six-carbon dicarboxylic acid found in small amounts in beetroot juice and other plants. The commercial form used in food is produced by chemical synthesis. It is a white crystalline powder with a mild, slightly tart flavour.

What does it do?

As an acidity regulator it lowers and stabilises the pH of a food product, which helps preserve texture and flavour over shelf life. As an acidulant it adds a clean, slightly sour note without the sharpness of citric acid, making it useful in powdered dessert and beverage mixes where a milder, more rounded tartness is preferred.

Where you will see it

Dry beverage mixes (instant drinks, powdered fruit squashes), gelatine-based dessert kits, baking powder blends, and some confectionery. On a UK label it appears as 'adipic acid' or 'E355'.

What the science says

General safety assessment

Adipic acid is metabolised in the body along the same pathways as fats, producing acetyl-CoA. EFSA reviewed it as part of its re-evaluation programme for food additives and concluded that, at the low levels used in food, dietary exposure does not raise any toxicological concern. No IARC carcinogen classification exists for adipic acid.

EFSA's Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources (ANS) concluded that adipic acid is metabolised normally and presents no toxicological concern at the levels used as a food additive.

Regulatory reviewEFSA ANS Panel re-evaluation opinion on adipic acid (E355)

Acceptable daily intake

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) set an ADI of 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day, based on animal feeding studies. At typical food-use levels the contribution to dietary intake sits well below that figure, though the precise exposure estimate depends on how many products a person consumes.

JECFA established an ADI of 5 mg/kg body weight/day for adipic acid based on no-observed-adverse-effect levels in animal studies.

RegulatoryJECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives)

Where it stands with the regulators

Approved for use in the UK and EU

Legal basis: UK FSA approved-additives list and assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008 (Annex II)
Permitted foods: Dessert mixes (dry powdered); Instant powdered beverage mixes; Baking powder; Confectionery; Some non-alcoholic flavoured drinks
Maximum levels: Quantum satis (no numerical maximum specified) in most permitted categories, meaning the minimum technologically necessary amount
Acceptable daily intake (ADI): 5 mg/kg body weight/day (JECFA)
History: E355 has been on the EU positive list since the original harmonisation of food additive legislation. No significant restrictions or re-evaluations resulting in bans have been recorded. EFSA re-evaluation as part of the systematic review of approved additives did not identify safety concerns at authorised use levels.

Who should be careful

No specific population group is known to need to avoid adipic acid at food-use levels. People managing conditions that require a controlled acid intake (such as certain kidney conditions) should discuss processed-food consumption with their doctor generally, not specifically because of E355. Look for 'adipic acid' or 'E355' on the ingredient list.

The honest read

Adipic acid is one of the most straightforward acidity regulators in the approved list. It occurs naturally in plant foods, is broken down by ordinary metabolic pathways, and has been in commercial food use for decades without generating a credible safety signal in human or animal research at food-relevant exposures. The science here is settled and unremarkable.

Common questions about adipic acid

Is E355 banned in the UK?

No. Adipic acid is approved for use in the UK under the assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008 and appears on the FSA's approved-additives list.

Does adipic acid cause any known health effects?

No credible health concern has been identified at the levels used in food. JECFA set an ADI of 5 mg/kg body weight/day based on animal data, and typical dietary exposure from food products is considered to fall well below that level.

What foods contain E355?

Mainly dry powdered products such as instant drink mixes, gelatine-based dessert kits, baking powder, and some confectionery. It is less common than citric acid in everyday grocery items.