E507

Hydrochloric acid

No known risk

Processing acid, neutralized in product.

Vegan: Yes
Vegetarian: Yes

What it is

A strong mineral acid (Hydrochloric acid) used in trace amounts to precisely lower the pH of foods or during the manufacturing of other ingredients.

How it is used in food

Used in the food industry primarily to lower pH during the production of syrups and cheeses, or to neutralize alkaline solutions.

Commonly found in

Cheese production
Syrup manufacturing
Brewing

Health and safety

None in the finished food. It is added to adjust pH and is neutralised in the process, leaving ordinary chloride behind — the same ion as in table salt.

Evaluated by EFSA, hydrochloric acid is accepted as a safe food processing aid with no numerical ADI required. It is neutralised during food manufacturing, leaving only harmless chloride ions behind. There is nothing to avoid at the amounts food contains.

Neutralized in Food

General population · evidence: suspected

By the time you eat a food processed with hydrochloric acid, it has already been neutralized into harmless chloride salts.

Permitted as a processing aid and acidity regulator; it does not survive into the food as acid.

Regulatory status

Region	Status	Notes
Australia & New Zealand FSANZ	Permitted	Permitted under the FSANZ Food Standards Code.
European Union EFSA / European Commission	Permitted	Authorised for food use under EU regulations (Annex II).
United States FDA (Food and Drug Administration)	Permitted	Authorised for food use by the FDA (often GRAS for standard additives).

Identification on labels

E-number: E507

How it is made

Synthesized industrially from basic mineral and chemical feedstocks.

Dilution — Food-grade hydrochloric acid is heavily diluted and used primarily as a processing aid rather than an end ingredient.

Worth knowing

It is the exact same strong acid produced naturally in your stomach (gastric acid) to digest food.

Conclusion

There is no reason to avoid foods processed with hydrochloric acid. Though a strong acid in manufacturing, it is fully neutralised during cheese or syrup production, leaving behind simple chloride ions identical to those in table salt. EFSA permits it as a processing aid that does not survive as acid on your plate.

References

EFSA evaluation of E507 — EFSA

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Entry last reviewed 2026-07-28.

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