Calcium disodium EDTA

also: Calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate · Sodium calcium edetate

A chemical that locks up metals in food to stop browning and rancidity. Used in tinned beans and mayonnaise, but not allowed in drinks in the UK.

Get NutraSafe on the App Store → Where it turns up

Scan a barcode to check a food for Calcium disodium EDTA. NutraSafe Pro · £6.99/month · iOS

An ingredient list from the yoghurt, milk and dairy aisle

Rapeseed Oil (68%), Water, Pasteurised EGG Yolk (5%), Spirit Vinegar, Sugar, Starch, Salt, MUSTARD Seeds, Spice, Antioxidant (Calcium Disodium EDTA).

E385Synthetic

Calcium disodium EDTA

EDTA binds minerals in the gut as well as in food, which may reduce how much calcium, iron and zinc the body takes in with regular intake.

VeganVegetarianHalalKosher

153

of the 43,325 UK supermarket foods we checked declare E385 in their ingredients

That is 0.4%, counted by its code or its name.

Only 5.9% of these labels print “E385”. Most use the name: look for “calcium disodium edta”.

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

How common it is in UK food, by aisle

Yoghurt, milk and dairy45 products2% of 2,273
Ready meals and pizza43 products0.9% of 4,833
Sauces, dressings and condiments37 products1.3% of 2,776
Bread and bakery9 products0.2% of 3,682

What Calcium disodium EDTA is, what it does and where you will see it

Why it’s worth knowing. EDTA binds minerals in the gut as well as in food, which may reduce how much calcium, iron and zinc the body takes in with regular intake. European reviewers found gaps in the evidence on harm and asked for more data before finishing their review.

What is it?

Calcium disodium EDTA is a salt of EDTA, a man-made chemical. It is a sequestrant: its molecule wraps around metal atoms and holds them tight, so they can no longer react.

What does it do?

It grabs traces of metals such as iron and copper that would otherwise speed up spoilage. By locking them away, it stops fats going rancid, stops cut or processed vegetables browning, and keeps tinned and jarred products looking and tasting fresh for longer.

Where you will see it

Mainly long-life products where metals cause spoilage: tinned and jarred chickpeas, kidney beans and other pulses, pickled vegetables and gherkins, some margarines and oils, mayonnaise and salad dressings, and some tinned crab and shellfish. It is not allowed in drinks in the UK. Labels call it calcium disodium EDTA or E385.

What the science says

It may cut how many minerals you absorb

EDTA binds minerals in food and, once swallowed, in the gut. Animal studies show it can cut how much calcium, iron and zinc is absorbed at doses above typical food levels. How much this matters at real-world intakes is uncertain, because the form used in food already has its binding sites partly filled with calcium. Regulators have not ruled out that regular intake adds to lower mineral absorption.

Animal studies show high doses of calcium disodium EDTA by mouth reduced mineral absorption and damaged kidney tubules, with bigger effects at higher doses.

1973Animal studyJECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives), monograph on calcium disodium EDTA

European reviewers noted gaps in the evidence on harm and asked for more long-term and reproduction data before they could finish their review.

2024Regulator actionEFSA Call for Data: Re-evaluation of Calcium disodium EDTA (E 385) as food additive

The daily limit for EDTA is 1.9mg per kg of body weight, from the international committee. A 2018 European opinion confirmed it and saw no scientific reason to raise it.

2018Regulator reviewEFSA Journal, scientific opinion on ferric sodium EDTA

Very high doses damaged kidneys in rodents

At doses much higher than food could provide, EDTA damaged kidney cells in animal studies. Regulators consider normal food levels far below that, but the lack of modern long-term data in people is why European reviewers flagged gaps.

Repeated high doses of EDTA by mouth damaged the kidney tubules of rodents. The daily limit was set from the highest dose with no effect in these studies.

1973Animal studyJECFA monograph on calcium disodium EDTA

Where it stands with the regulators

Approved in the UK and EU with restrictions. Not allowed in drinks in the UK.

Daily limit. 1.9mg per kg of body weight a day, about 133mg for a 70kg adult (international committee, confirmed by European reviewers 2018).

Legal basis: On the Food Standards Agency's approved list for Great Britain. A European review was pending as of 2024.
Permitted foods: Tinned and jarred pulses · Pickled vegetables and gherkins · Mayonnaise and similar sauces · Margarine and some vegetable oils · Tinned and prepared shellfish · Some processed potato products
Maximum levels: 75 to 250mg per kg, depending on the food.
History: The international committee assessed EDTA in the 1970s and set a daily limit. It was approved under EU additive law. In 2024 European reviewers asked for data ahead of a planned review, citing gaps in the long-term and reproduction evidence. The UK does not allow E385 in drinks, a rule carried over from EU law. It is also approved in the US and listed in the international Codex food standards.

Who should be careful

People on a doctor-supervised mineral-restricted diet, or with poor kidney function, should know EDTA interacts with minerals. Look for calcium disodium EDTA or E385 on the label. It should not appear in any drink sold in the UK.

The honest read

E385 is a long-established industrial chemical with decades of approval. The difficulty is that the evidence used to set its daily limit is old, mostly animal studies from the 1970s, and European reviewers have formally said it has gaps.

Estimates suggest most people stay within the daily limit from food alone, but those estimates depend on diet and on the data quality reviewers are now questioning. The mineral absorption concern is real in principle, but how big it is at normal intakes has not been measured in modern studies in people. The current approval rests on evidence that is under active review.

Common questions about Calcium disodium EDTA

Is E385 banned in the UK?

No. It is approved in some foods in the UK, including tinned pulses, pickled vegetables, mayonnaise and some shellfish. But it is not allowed in any drink sold in the UK, and the same applies in the EU.

Could E385 deplete my minerals?

EDTA binds minerals, and in animal studies at high doses it reduced how much calcium, iron and zinc was absorbed. At normal intakes from food, regulators consider the effect small, but it has not been well measured in modern studies in people. European reviewers have flagged this as a gap needing more evidence.

What foods contain E385?

Mostly tinned and jarred chickpeas, kidney beans and other pulses, pickled gherkins and vegetables, mayonnaise and salad dressings, some margarines, and tinned crab and other shellfish. Look for calcium disodium EDTA or E385.