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E331Sodium citrates

E331 covers the sodium citrates, sodium salts of citric acid (E330): sodium dihydrogen, disodium monohydrogen and trisodium citrate. In food they control acidity, emulsify and stabilise.

Code
E331 · INS 331
Group
Acidity regulator, Emulsifier, Emulsifying salt, Sequestrant, Stabilizer
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 E331 appears on labels

IngredientsIllustrative example

Wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, acidity regulator (331), dried onion and garlic, pepper, natural colour (160a).

acidity regulator (331)acidity regulator 331E331INS 331

INS sub-codes

INS 331(i)Sodium dihydrogen citrate
INS 331(ii)Disodium monohydrogen citrate
INS 331(iii)Trisodium citrate

Sources: Codex CXG 36-1989, Class Names and the International Numbering System (INS)

Sodium citrates in food

Milk, cheese, creamOils, fats, spreads
Processed vegetables
Processed meatFish and seafood, canned
Eggs and egg products
Sugars and syrups
Infant formula, foods for young children
Coffee, tea, herbal drinks

Questions about sodium citrates

What is E331 (sodium citrates)?

They are the sodium citrates, the sodium salts of citric acid (E330): sodium dihydrogen citrate, disodium monohydrogen citrate and trisodium citrate. Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT lists E331 as an acidity regulator, emulsifier, emulsifying salt, sequestrant and stabilizer.

Is trisodium citrate harmful?

The JECFA database (the FAO/WHO expert committee) records an ADI of “not limited” (noted as “Not specified”) for trisodium citrate, set in 1973.

Is INS 331 permitted in Vietnam?

Yes. Sodium dihydrogen citrate (INS 331(i)), disodium monohydrogen citrate (INS 331(ii)) and trisodium citrate (INS 331(iii)) are all listed in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, the list of additives permitted in food, as acidity regulators, emulsifiers, emulsifying salts, sequestrants and stabilisers.

Can children and pregnant women have E331?

Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT permits sodium dihydrogen citrate and trisodium citrate at good manufacturing practice in infant formula for children up to 12 months, in follow-on formula for children aged 6–36 months and in formula for special medical purposes for children up to 12 months (ready-to-eat products only, with conditions on the sodium, calcium and potassium limits of the relevant Codex standards), and in complementary foods for children up to 36 months at a maximum of 5000 mg/kg. The text does not mention pregnant women separately.

Other acidity regulators

E327Calcium lactatevery lowE330Citric acidvery lowE332Potassium citratesvery lowE333Calcium citratesvery lowE334Tartaric acid (L(+)-)very lowE335Sodium tartratesvery low
See all acidity regulators →

Found in these products

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Updated 21 October 2026

How Yenzo scores

Sources (3)
  1. 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:e331)
  2. Thông tư 24/2019/TT-BYT (văn bản hợp nhất 09/VBHN-BYT), Phụ lục 2A (INS 331(i) và 331(iii); nhóm 13.1.1–13.1.3 và 13.2; ghi chú 55, 72, 238, 240, 316, 319, 320)
  3. JECFA (FAO/WHO) evaluation database: Sodium citrate (trisodium citrate), INS 331(iii)

Information only, not medical advice. The risk level is the additive's class in Yenzo's open scoring method, based on the cited source.

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