E282Preservative

Calcium propionate

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 preservative made from propanoic acid.

It helps keep bread and other foods from spoiling.

Written from Open Food Facts and English Wikipedia12

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • EU permitted

What research says

Studies in people

  • Concern

    Stomach upset in schools3

    In one outbreak, school lunches with too much calcium propionate left hundreds of people with stomach symptoms.

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 9,768 products on Open Food Facts that list calcium propionate.

  • Pain de mie longue conservation Harrys · 250 g 1 additive
  • Seed Sensations Seven Seeds Hovis · 800 g 3 additives
  • Original Crumpets Warburtons · 6 4 additives
  • Mini Bagels The Original Brottery · 5 2 additives
  • Wholemeal Warburtons 5 additives
  • Original Crumpets Warburtons · 9 4 additives

References

  1. 1calcium propionate: ingredient taxonomy entry. Open Food Facts.
  2. 2Calcium propanoate. Wikipedia. Accessed September 25, 2026.
  3. 3Varo V, Leinonen E, Markkula A, et al. Calcium propionate in tortillas - a likely cause of a large outbreak of acute gastrointestinal illness, Finland, 2023. Euro Surveill. 2026;31(11). doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2026.31.11.2600185