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E300Antioxidant · Sequestrant

Ascorbic acid

What the research shows

Prototype

Not enough

published research on this page yet

1 health finding on this page so far · See the findings

A vitamin found in fruits and vegetables.

It stops food browning and keeps it fresh.

Written from Open Food Facts and English Wikipedia12

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • EU permitted

What research says

Studies in people

  • Open question

    Kidney stone risk3

    In people, about 60 mg of ascorbic acid breaks down daily, and how much becomes oxalate is unclear.

Study type not stated

  • Benefit

    Immune defense4

    Ascorbic acid helps immune cells fight germs, and not getting enough may make infections more likely.

  • Open question

    Vitamin absorption and use5

    Scientists still have open questions about how ascorbic acid is absorbed, used and passed out of the body.

  • Open question

    Daily vitamin needs6

    Ascorbic acid is a vitamin your body needs daily, and scientists still debate its full disease-fighting power.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.

Regulatory status

Checked Sep 2026

Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating.

How we check

Products

The 6 most-scanned of 34,901 products on Open Food Facts that list ascorbic acid.

  • Cappy PULPY Coca cola · 1 L 9 additives
  • Pains au lait Brioche Pasquier · x10 (350 g) 2 additives
  • Succo di limone ITALIAMO · 200 ml 2 additives
  • Everyday White Rolls Jason's · 320 g 1 additive
  • Seed Sensations Seven Seeds Hovis · 800 g 3 additives
  • Mini Bagels The Original Brottery · 5 2 additives

References

  1. 1Ascorbic acid: ingredient taxonomy entry. Open Food Facts.
  2. 2Chemistry of ascorbic acid. Wikipedia. Accessed September 25, 2026.
  3. 3Knight J, Madduma-Liyanage K, Mobley JA, Assimos DG, Holmes RP. Ascorbic acid intake and oxalate synthesis. Urolithiasis. 2016;44(4):289-97. doi:10.1007/s00240-016-0868-7
  4. 4Carr AC, Maggini S. Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017;9(11). doi:10.3390/nu9111211
  5. 5Padayatty SJ, Levine M. Vitamin C: the known and the unknown and Goldilocks. Oral Dis. 2016;22(6):463-93. doi:10.1111/odi.12446
  6. 6Alberts A, Moldoveanu ET, Niculescu AG, Grumezescu AM. Vitamin C: A Comprehensive Review of Its Role in Health, Disease Prevention, and Therapeutic Potential. Molecules. 2025;30(3). doi:10.3390/molecules30030748