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E263 Calcium Acetate – Food Additive

E263 is the EU food additive code for calcium acetate, used as a preservative and acidity regulator in various food products.

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Things worth knowing about "E263"

E263 is the EU food additive code for calcium acetate, used as a preservative and acidity regulator in various food products.

What is E263 (Calcium Acetate)?

E263 is the European Union designation for calcium acetate, the calcium salt of acetic acid. It is used in the food industry as a preservative, acidity regulator, and stabilizer. The substance appears as a white, crystalline or powdery solid with a faint vinegar-like odour and is highly soluble in water. On ingredient labels, it may be listed as E263 or by its chemical name, calcium acetate.

Origin and Production

Calcium acetate is produced by reacting acetic acid (ethanoic acid) with calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) or calcium carbonate (limestone). The resulting compound has the chemical formula Ca(CH₃COO)₂. Historically, calcium acetate — also known as lime acetate or grey acetate of lime — was an important industrial precursor for acetone production. Today it is manufactured synthetically and is available in both anhydrous and monohydrate forms.

Use in Food Products

E263 serves several technological functions in food:

Preservation: Inhibits the growth of moulds and certain bacteria, particularly in baked goods.
Acidity regulation: Stabilises the pH of food products and helps maintain freshness.
Texture improvement: Acts as a stabiliser in processed foods.
Buffering agent: Prevents unwanted acid fluctuations within the food matrix.

Typical applications include bread and baked goods, certain cheese varieties, snack products, and processed foods. Within the European Union, E263 is authorised under Food Additives Regulation (EC) No. 1333/2008.

Safety and Health Assessment

Calcium acetate is considered well tolerated and safe for human consumption at permitted levels. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has evaluated E263 and classified it as safe. Since calcium acetate is broken down in the digestive tract into calcium and acetate — both naturally occurring substances in the body — the health risk at normal dietary intake is very low.

No specific Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) value has been established by EFSA for calcium acetate, as it is considered sufficiently safe with a high margin of tolerability. However, at very high intakes through supplements or medications (e.g. as a phosphate binder), side effects such as nausea, vomiting, or disruption of the calcium-phosphate balance may occur.

Medical Use of Calcium Acetate

Beyond its food applications, calcium acetate is also used as a pharmaceutical agent, particularly in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this context, it acts as a phosphate binder: it binds dietary phosphate in the intestine, preventing its absorption into the bloodstream, and thereby helps to reduce elevated phosphate levels (hyperphosphataemia). This is medically significant for dialysis patients, as hyperphosphataemia can lead to dangerous vascular calcification and bone disorders.

Labelling and Identification

Under EU law, foods containing E263 must declare it on the ingredient list, either as E263 or as calcium acetate. Consumers who wish to monitor specific additives in their diet can check the ingredient list on the packaging. E263 is not classified as an allergen and is not associated with any known cross-reactions.

References

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): Re-evaluation of acetic acid, lactic acid, citric acid and their ammonium, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium salts as food additives. EFSA Journal, 2019.
European Parliament and Council: Regulation (EC) No. 1333/2008 on food additives. Official Journal of the European Union, 2008.
Drueke T.B., Ritz E.: Treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in CKD patients with cinacalcet and/or vitamin D derivatives. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2009.

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