What is it?
Calcium sulphate is a mineral found in nature as gypsum. It is the same substance traditionally used to set tofu. In food it is a white powder with no smell that supplies calcium and sulphate.
E-numbers / Other additives / E516
Calcium sulphate
also: Calcium sulfate · Gypsum · Plaster of Paris (anhydrous form) · CaSO4
A mineral salt, the same one used to set tofu. It firms food up, strengthens bread dough and steadies acidity.
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Water, Soya Protein Concentrate, Natural Flavouring, Fava Protein Isolate, Shea Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Potato Starch, Salt, Pea Fibre, Emulsifier: Xanthan Gum, Stabiliser: Calcium Sulphate, Iron, Vitamin B12
E516
Calcium sulphate
Calcium sulphate is a mineral found in nature as gypsum.
VeganVegetarian
210
of the 43,325 UK supermarket foods we checked declare E516 in their ingredients
That is 0.5%, counted by its code or its name.
Only 18% of these labels print “E516”. Most use the name: look for “calcium sulphate”.
Counted by NutraSafe from UK supermarket ingredient lists, September 2026. How we counted
How common it is in UK food, by aisle
- Bread and bakery88 products2.4% of 3,682
- Cakes, biscuits and desserts34 products0.9% of 3,715
- Ready meals and pizza32 products0.7% of 4,833
- Fresh meat, poultry and fish13 products0.3% of 4,835
What calcium sulphate is, what it does and where you will see it
What does it do?
It firms food up by binding the walls of plant cells, helping vegetables and pulses keep their shape when they are processed. It strengthens the gluten in bread dough, steadies acidity, and is part of some baking powders. In tofu it makes soya milk set into a solid curd.
Where you will see it
Bread and flour products, tofu and other soya foods, tinned vegetables and pulses, processed cheese, breakfast cereals and some ready meals. UK labels call it calcium sulphate or E516.
What the science says
European reviewers set no daily limit in 2019
European reviewers looked at calcium sulphate again in 2019. They set no numerical daily limit, because it is an ordinary mineral in the diet and the body already controls how much calcium and sulphate it keeps.
Reviewers raised no safety issue with calcium sulphate at the levels reported in food and set no numerical daily limit, noting it is a normal mineral salt.
2019Regulator reviewEFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings, EFSA Journal
It adds a little calcium to the diet
Calcium is a mineral the body needs for bones, teeth, nerves and muscles. Sulphate is already present in the body and in many foods. The kidneys control both and pass out any extra. The amounts from E516 are small next to what people get from water, vegetables and dairy.
Calcium is an essential nutrient with a set UK dietary reference value. E516 adds only a small part of total calcium intake.
UK nutrition guidanceSACN (Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition), UK
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
- Flour and bread · Tofu and soya foods · Tinned and bottled vegetables and pulses · Processed cheese · Breakfast cereals · Baking powder · Ready meals
- Maximum levels
- No set maximum in most foods, as long as makers use no more than they need.
- History
- Calcium sulphate has been approved in the EU and UK for decades to firm food, treat flour and steady acidity. European reviewers completed a full review in 2019 and kept it approved with no numerical daily limit. No restrictions or bans have been applied.
Who should be careful
People with high blood calcium are usually told by their doctor to keep an eye on calcium from every source, which includes foods made with E516. Anyone with kidney disease who has been told to limit calcium or sulphate should check with their dietitian. Look for calcium sulphate or E516.
The honest read
Calcium sulphate is one of the oldest mineral additives in food. It has set tofu for centuries and been used in bread for well over a hundred years. The 2019 European review, the most recent, found nothing that called for a limit on intake. It simply supplies calcium and sulphate, which the body handles like any other minerals in food. There is no active scientific debate about it at the amounts used.
Common questions about calcium sulphate
Is E516 banned in the UK?
No. Calcium sulphate is on the Food Standards Agency's approved list and is allowed in a range of foods.
Is the calcium in E516 the same as dietary calcium?
Yes. It releases calcium and sulphate in food and during digestion, and the body handles both as it handles minerals from any food. The calcium counts towards your daily intake just like calcium from dairy or vegetables.
What foods contain E516?
Bread and flour products, tofu, tinned vegetables, processed cheese, some breakfast cereals and baking powder. It may appear on labels as calcium sulphate or E516.
Is E516 vegan?
Yes. It is a mineral with nothing from animals, and it is the traditional way to set tofu.
Sources
- EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings: Re-evaluation of sulphuric acid and its sodium, potassium, calcium and ammonium salts (E 513, 514, 515, 516, 517) as food additives, EFSA Journal 2019
- UK FSA: Calcium sulphate (E516) regulated product entry
- UK FSA: Approved additives and E numbers
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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