E579
Iron gluconate
What the research shows
No concerns
none of the findings here link it to harm
What research says
Studies in people
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Benefit
Fortified food and anemia3
In toddlers, baby food with ferrous gluconate had an acceptable beneficial effect on iron markers.
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Benefit
Anemia in young children4
In children, milk with added iron gluconate and vitamin C lowered anemia more than plain milk.
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 one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. 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.
What expert reviews concluded
Expert panels that weigh all the research. Shown for context: the signal at the top does not count them.
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UN and WHO food additive experts (JECFA), 1987
Reviewed its safety in 1987.
Regulatory status
Checked Sep 2026-
United States Permitted FDA 21 CFR 73.160
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European Union Permitted EUR-Lex Reg. (EC) 1333/2008
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United Kingdom Permitted FSA retained EU law
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Canada Permitted Health Canada · Other Accepted Uses
Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating.
How we checkProducts
The 6 most-scanned of 905 products on Open Food Facts that list iron gluconate.
- Pitted Ripe Olives Crespo · 425 g 1 additive
- Pitted Black Olives in Brine Baresa · 340 g 1 additive
- Pitted Black Olives Tesco · 330 g 1 additive
- Mediterranean Inspired Couscous Tesco · 110 g 4 additives
- Black pitted olives in brine Sainsburys 1 additive
- Mega Med Grains Jamie Oliver 4 additives
References
- 1iron gluconate: ingredient taxonomy entry. Open Food Facts.
- 2Iron(II) gluconate. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 3Shamah-Levy T, Villalpando S, Rivera-Dommarco JA, Mundo-Rosas V, Cuevas-Nasu L, Jiménez-Aguilar A. Ferrous gluconate and ferrous sulfate added to a complementary food distributed by the Mexican nutrition program Oportunidades have a comparable efficacy to reduce iron deficiency in toddlers. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2008;47(5):660-6. doi:10.1097/mpg.0b013e318167b03b
- 4Villalpando S, Shamah T, Rivera JA, Lara Y, Monterrubio E. Fortifying milk with ferrous gluconate and zinc oxide in a public nutrition program reduced the prevalence of anemia in toddlers. J Nutr. 2006;136(10):2633-7. doi:10.1093/jn/136.10.2633