E-numbers / Other additives / E577
also: Potassium salt of gluconic acid
The potassium salt of gluconic acid, used as a mineral source, acidity buffer, and stabiliser in processed foods and dietary supplements.
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Potassium gluconate is the potassium salt of gluconic acid, a naturally occurring organic acid found in fruit, honey, wine, and vinegar.
2
of the 43,325 UK supermarket foods we checked declare E577 in their ingredients
That is under 0.1%, counted by its code or its name.
Counted by NutraSafe from UK supermarket ingredient lists, September 2026. How we counted
Potassium gluconate is the potassium salt of gluconic acid, a naturally occurring organic acid found in fruit, honey, wine, and vinegar. As a food additive it is a white to off-white crystalline powder, readily soluble in water. It supplies potassium, an essential dietary mineral, and has mild sequestrant and buffering properties.
In food, potassium gluconate serves several functions. As a mineral supplement it raises the potassium content of electrolyte drinks, sports foods, and dietary products. As a sequestrant it binds trace metal ions that would otherwise catalyse oxidation or discolouration. As an acidity regulator and buffering agent it stabilises the pH of processed foods, helping maintain texture, flavour, and shelf life. In baked goods it can act as a leavening aid when combined with other raising agents.
Most commonly found in electrolyte and sports drinks, powdered mineral supplements, fortified waters, low-sodium salt substitutes (as a partial potassium replacer), canned and jarred fruits and vegetables, baked goods, and some diet foods. On UK ingredient labels it appears as 'potassium gluconate' or 'E577'.
Potassium gluconate is primarily used as a bioavailable source of potassium. Potassium is an essential electrolyte required for nerve function, muscle contraction, fluid balance, and maintaining normal blood pressure. The gluconate anion is itself a normal product of glucose metabolism and is not considered to present any additional dietary concern.
Potassium intake from food additives such as potassium gluconate contributes to overall potassium intake; the SACN reference nutrient intake for adults is 3500mg of potassium per day, and higher intakes from food are associated with reduced blood pressure.
Potassium from food sources is well handled by healthy kidneys, which excrete any surplus efficiently. Very high supplemental doses of potassium salts in people with impaired kidney function can lead to hyperkalaemia (elevated blood potassium), which can affect heart rhythm. This is a clinical concern with pharmacological-level supplementation rather than typical food-additive exposure, but people with kidney disease or those on potassium-sparing medications should be aware of added potassium in their diet.
Potassium hyperkalaemia risk from dietary potassium is clinically relevant only in people with significantly impaired renal function or those taking potassium-sparing diuretics or ACE inhibitors; healthy individuals excrete surplus potassium readily.
Gluconic acid and its salts, including potassium gluconate, have been evaluated repeatedly by food safety authorities. No genotoxic, mutagenic, or carcinogenic properties have been identified. No numerical acceptable daily intake has been set, reflecting the conclusion that no numerical limit was needed at food-use levels.
EFSA's Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources (ANS) concluded that glucono-delta-lactone and its sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium salts raise no grounds to restrict it at their current uses as food additives; no numerical ADI was considered necessary.
People with kidney disease, or those taking potassium-sparing diuretics or ACE inhibitor/ARB blood pressure medications, should factor added potassium sources including E577 into their overall dietary potassium intake and discuss this with their doctor or dietitian. Check ingredient labels for 'potassium gluconate' or 'E577' in electrolyte drinks, supplements, and low-sodium products where it is most concentrated.
Potassium gluconate is a simple mineral salt. Its two components, potassium and gluconate, are both ordinary constituents of a normal diet. Safety bodies have evaluated it multiple times and found no toxicological flag at levels used in food. The only real-world concern is relevant only to people who already need to manage their potassium intake for medical reasons, for whom any concentrated potassium source, dietary or supplemental, warrants attention.
No. Potassium gluconate is fully authorised in the UK under the retained food additives framework that carried over EU Regulation 1333/2008 into UK law after Brexit. It appears on the FSA's authorised additives list.
Potentially. Healthy kidneys excrete surplus potassium efficiently, but people with significantly impaired kidney function can struggle to clear it. If you have chronic kidney disease or take potassium-sparing medications, high-potassium foods including those with added potassium gluconate are worth discussing with your doctor.
Potassium gluconate is most commonly added to electrolyte and sports drinks, dietary supplements, low-sodium salt alternatives, and some baked goods and canned vegetables. It appears on labels as either 'potassium gluconate' or 'E577'.
Yes. Potassium gluconate is produced by fermentation of glucose using microorganisms, or by chemical synthesis from gluconic acid. Neither route involves animal-derived ingredients, so it is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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