YenzoWhat is E234 (nisin)?
It is nisin (nisin A), a polypeptide used as a preservative to hold back bacteria. Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT lists nisin (INS 234) as a preservative.
E234Nisin
E234 is nisin, a peptide made by the lactic acid bacterium Lactococcus lactis during fermentation. In food it holds back certain bacteria, especially in cheese and dairy products.
Did you know? Nisin is a polypeptide of 34 amino acids and belongs to the bacteriocins — proteins that bacteria make naturally to inhibit other bacteria. Nisin A is produced by fermentation with the bacterium Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis.
- Code
- E234 · INS 234
- Group
- Preservative
In Vietnam✓ PermittedOn the list of permitted additives — Circular 24/2019, Appendix 1
Risk level on the Yenzo Scalevery low?Based on the Open Food Facts additives taxonomy
How E234 appears on labels
IngredientsIllustrative example
Wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, preservative (234), dried onion and garlic, pepper, natural colour (160a).
preservative (234)preservative 234E234INS 234On Vietnamese labels: Nisin
Nisin in food
Flavoured milk drinksCheese
Dairy and cereal desserts
Small baked goodsProcessed meat, sausagesLiquid egg products
Ready-to-eat soups and brothsQuestions about nisin
Is nisin harmful?
In 2017 EFSA calculated a new ADI of 1 mg nisin A/kg body weight per day (0.13 mg/kg in 2006), based on a 90-day rat study with no adverse effects. EFSA estimated that intake from the additive is below this ADI in every population group, with meat products the main source. It also concluded that extending use to unripened cheese and heat-treated meat products would not be of safety concern.
Is E234 permitted in Vietnam?
Yes. Nisin (INS 234) is listed in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, the list of additives permitted in food, as a preservative.
Can children and pregnant women have nisin?
EFSA estimated intake for six age groups, from infants of 12 weeks to 11 months, toddlers of 12–35 months and children of 3–9 years to the elderly, and found the estimates below the ADI in every group. The opinion has no separate group for pregnant women.
Other preservatives
E228Potassium hydrogen sulphitehighE230Biphenyl (diphenyl)highE231Orthophenyl phenolmoderateE232Sodium orthophenyl phenolmoderateE235NatamycinlowE239Hexamethylene tetraminemoderate
See all preservatives →Found in these products
Updated 21 October 2026
Sources (3)
- 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:e234)
- Thông tư 24/2019/TT-BYT (văn bản hợp nhất 09/VBHN-BYT), Phụ lục 2A (nisin, INS 234)
- EFSA Journal (2017). Safety of nisin (E 234) as a food additive in the light of new toxicological data and the proposed extension of use