Antioxidants are substances that prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity and colour changes. They are added to food for that purpose. This definition follows Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Union.
Vietnam regulates additives through a list of permitted additives (Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, referencing international Codex standards); a substance not on the list is not permitted in Vietnam, and that is the first tier of the Yenzo Scale — see how levels are set.
High risk on Yenzo's scale. The cases at this level: it is not permitted in Vietnam (Circular 24/2019); neither JECFA nor EFSA has an ADI for it; a regulator withdrew it for safety reasons and no evaluator kept an ADI; nitrites and nitrates (EFSA 2023). How we score →
Very low risk: no concern at the levels used in food. How we score →
Fun fact. Ascorbic acid, a familiar antioxidant (E300), came to light through research on browning. Albert Szent-Györgyi isolated the agent in citrus juice that countered browning, named it "hexuronic acid" and published his findings in 1928. Four years later the substance was identified as vitamin C. He then renamed it "ascorbic acid" and began to search for abundant natural sources of it. Szeged was then and is now a major centre of paprika cultivation. Source: Albert Szent-Györgyi (Science History Institute, Scientific Biographies)
According to Yenzo's additive pages, E300 is common in fruit juices, soft drinks, canned fruit, jams, flour, bread and processed meat; E320 may be found in cooking oil, fat, margarine, snacks, instant noodles and chewing gum; E322 is common in chocolate, biscuits, confectionery and margarine.
Labels usually write the group name with the INS number, for example “antioxidant (300)”. A label may also write the E code, the INS code or the name of the substance. The same substance can be written in different ways.
Yenzo does not rank codes. Some codes of this group have a page on Yenzo: E300 (ascorbic acid), E322 (lecithin), E320 (BHA), E321 (BHT), E310 (propyl gallate). Each of them has a row in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT with the function “chất chống oxy hóa” (antioxidant).
Updated 28 October 2026
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