YenzoWhat is E302 (calcium ascorbate)?
It is calcium ascorbate, the calcium salt of ascorbic acid (vitamin C, E300). Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT lists E302 as an antioxidant.
E302Calcium ascorbate
E302 is calcium ascorbate, the calcium salt of ascorbic acid (vitamin C, E300). In food it is an antioxidant that helps food keep its colour and flavour for longer.
- Code
- E302 · INS 302
- Group
- Antioxidant
- ADI
- ADI “not specified” (EFSA 2015) This means no numerical ADI is needed: by JECFA’s definition of the term, at the levels needed in food the substance does not represent a hazard to health. Vietnam’s Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT calls this an ADI “không xác định” (“not specified”, Article 3(6)).
In Vietnam✓ PermittedOn the list of permitted additives — Circular 24/2019, Appendix 1
Risk level on the Yenzo Scalevery low?Based on EFSA's scientific assessment, 2015
How E302 appears on labels
IngredientsIllustrative example
Wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, antioxidant (302), dried onion and garlic, pepper, natural colour (160a).
antioxidant (302)antioxidant 302E302INS 302On Vietnamese labels: Calci ascorbat
Calcium ascorbate in food
Fresh cut fruit
Noodles, pasta, cerealsProcessed meatFish and seafood, cannedInfant formula, foods for young children
Juices, fruit nectars
ConfectioneryBaked goodsSeasonings, soup cubes, saucesQuestions about calcium ascorbate
Is calcium ascorbate harmful?
In 2015 EFSA re-evaluated ascorbic acid (E300), sodium ascorbate (E301) and calcium ascorbate (E302) and concluded that their use as food additives at the reported uses and use levels raises no safety concern, so no numerical ADI is needed.
Is INS 302 permitted in Vietnam?
Yes. Calcium ascorbate (INS 302) is listed in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, the list of additives permitted in food, with the function antioxidant.
Can children and pregnant women have E302?
Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT permits calcium ascorbate in follow-on formula for children aged 6–36 months at a maximum of 50 mg/kg (expressed as the acid, ready-to-eat products only), and in complementary foods for children up to 36 months at a maximum of 200 mg/kg (expressed as ascorbic acid, excluding products covered by Codex stan 73-1981). The text does not mention pregnant women separately.
Other antioxidants
E300Ascorbic acidvery lowE301Sodium ascorbatevery lowE304Fatty acid esters of ascorbic acidvery lowE306Tocopherol-rich extractvery lowE307Alpha-tocopherolvery lowE308Gamma-tocopherolvery low
See all antioxidants →Updated 22 October 2026