YenzoWhat is E174 (silver)?
It is silver metal, classed as a colour.
E174Silver
E174 is metallic silver as thin leaf or powder. In food it is used for surface decoration, for example silver coatings on sweets, chocolates and cakes.
- Code
- E174 · INS 174
- Group
- Colour
In VietnamNot on Vietnam's list of permitted additivesNot on Vietnam's list of permitted additives (Circular 24/2019); it may be used only in a product whose declaration is registered with the Vietnam Food Administration
Risk level on the Yenzo Scalelow?Based on the Open Food Facts additives taxonomy
How E174 appears on labels
IngredientsIllustrative example
Wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, colour (174), dried onion and garlic, pepper, natural colour (160a).
colour (174)colour 174E174INS 174
Questions about silver
Is silver (E174) harmful?
In 2025 EFSA concluded that it could not conclude on the safety of silver as the food additive E 174. The data on physicochemical characterisation were not adequate, the genotoxicity and sub-chronic data were inadequate, and EFSA said E 174 requires risk assessment at the nanoscale. Earlier, in 2016, EFSA had already concluded that the information available was insufficient to assess its safety.
Is silver permitted in Vietnam?
Silver (INS 174) is not listed in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, the list of additives permitted in food, nor in Appendix 2B.
Other colours
E170Calcium carbonatesvery lowE171Titanium dioxidemoderateE172Iron oxides and iron hydroxidesvery lowE173AluminiumhighE175GoldlowE180Litholrubine BKhigh
See all colours →Updated 21 October 2026
Sources (4)
- Open Food Facts additives taxonomy (Yenzo's table cites no EFSA opinion for this code). Open Food Facts additives taxonomy, https://github.com/openfoodfacts/openfoodfacts-server/blob/main/taxonomies/additives.txt (entry en:e174)
- Thông tư 24/2019/TT-BYT (văn bản hợp nhất 09/VBHN-BYT), Phụ lục 1
- EFSA Journal (2025). Follow-up of the re-evaluation of silver (E 174) as a food additive (EFSA-Q-2023-00169)
- EFSA Journal (2016). Scientific opinion on the re-evaluation of silver (E 174) as food additive