E-numbers / Acidity regulators / E574
also: D-gluconic acid
A mild organic acid found naturally in honey and fruit, used to regulate acidity and improve texture in processed foods.
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Water, Natural Flavours, Acids (Malic Acid, Gluconic Acid), Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate)
Gluconic acid is a naturally occurring organic acid produced when glucose is oxidised.
UK supermarket foods that declare E574: 1 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
Gluconic acid is a naturally occurring organic acid produced when glucose is oxidised. It is found in honey, fruit, wine, and kombucha. The food-grade version is made by fermenting glucose using the mould Aspergillus niger or via bacterial action, producing the same compound the body already handles as part of normal carbohydrate metabolism.
As an acidity regulator it lowers pH in a food product, which improves shelf stability, controls texture and supports other preservatives. It also chelates metal ions (binds trace minerals), which prevents oxidative rancidity and discolouration. Its acid taste is mild and clean compared to citric or acetic acid, making it useful where a sharp sour note is unwanted.
Used in baked goods to help leavening systems release gas at the right rate; in dairy products and plant-based alternatives to control coagulation; in dessert mixes, ready meals, and some processed meat products. Also used in cleaning-in-place formulations in food manufacturing. On a UK label it appears as 'gluconic acid' or 'E574'.
Gluconic acid is metabolised in the body via the pentose phosphate pathway, the same route used for glucose. It does not accumulate. Studies of dietary exposure show that food-use quantities are small relative to the amount produced endogenously during normal glucose metabolism.
Gluconic acid is a product of glucose oxidation and is a normal metabolite in human biochemistry, handled by the same pathways as glucose.
EFSA is working through a structured re-evaluation of all food additives authorised before 2009. In 2023 EFSA issued a call for data covering gluconic acid and its salts (E574 to E579) as part of this rolling programme. A call for data is a routine data-gathering step, not an indication that a concern has been identified.
EFSA called for data to support the re-evaluation of gluconic acid (E574) and its salts E575-E579 as part of the systematic re-evaluation of all pre-2009 authorised food additives.
No specific population group is advised to avoid gluconic acid in food. People managing mineral absorption (for example those on iron or calcium supplementation) may note that chelating agents can affect mineral binding, though the amounts present in food are small. Look for 'gluconic acid' or 'E574' on the label.
Gluconic acid is one of the most thoroughly ordinary acidulants in the food supply. It is chemically identical to the compound produced during normal carbohydrate metabolism, found naturally in honey, wine, and fermented foods, and has been in commercial food use for decades with no credible safety signal in the published literature. EFSA's 2023 call for data is a scheduled administrative step applied to all pre-2009 additives, not a response to a concern. The science here is not unsettled in any meaningful way; it is simply being formally documented as part of a long-running regulatory review cycle.
No. Gluconic acid is approved for food use in the UK under the retained EU Regulation 1333/2008 and appears on the UK FSA's approved-additives register.
EFSA is systematically re-evaluating every food additive authorised before 2009, working through the list in batches. A call for data on E574 and its salts was issued in 2023. This is a planned administrative process applied to all additives in scope, not a response to a safety signal.
Gluconic acid is used in baked goods, dairy products, plant-based alternatives, dessert mixes, processed meats, and some ready meals. It also occurs naturally in honey, fruit, wine, and kombucha. On a label it appears as 'gluconic acid' or 'E574'.
Yes. Food-grade gluconic acid is produced by fermenting plant-derived glucose using a mould or bacteria. No animal-derived ingredients are involved in its manufacture.
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