E511Stabiliser · Coagulant
Magnesium chloride
What the research shows
Unclear
the research on this page hasn’t settled it
Used in food as a stabiliser or coagulant.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- EU permitted
What research says
Studies in people
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Open question
Stomach emptying speed2
In people, taking magnesium chloride slowed how fast the stomach emptied, but it did not change fat digestion.
Single cases of misuse or overdose
One person or one incident, such as an accidental overdose or a mistake in a kitchen or factory. They are real, but a single case does not show what happens at normal amounts, so the signal does not count them.
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Fatal mineral overdose1
A woman died after drinking milk with magnesium chloride, a folk remedy, raising her magnesium to a deadly level.
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), 1979
No daily limit needed (“ADI not specified”, JECFA’s term for very low toxicity).
Regulatory status
Checked Sep 2026-
United States Permitted FDA 21 CFR 184.1426
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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 · Emulsifying Gelling Stabilizing Thickening Agents
Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating.
How we checkProducts
The 6 most-scanned of 1,189 products on Open Food Facts that list magnesium chloride.
- NAKED ORGANIC TOFU The Tofoo Co. · 280 g 0 additives
- Räuchertofu Mandel-Sesam taifun · 200 g 0 additives
- Filets de tofu à la japonaise Taifun · 160 g 0 additives
- Tofu à l'Ail des Ours Taifun · 160 g (2 x 80 g) 0 additives
- Fumé Tofu The Tofoo Co. · 225 g 0 additives
- Tofu fumesse Taifun · 300 g 1 additive
References
- 1Torikoshi-Hatano A, Namera A, Shiraishi H, Maeno Y, Kato H, Nagao M. A fatal case of hypermagnesemia caused by ingesting magnesium chloride as a folk remedy. J Forensic Sci. 2013;58(6):1673-5. doi:10.1111/1556-4029.12266
- 2Geboes KP, Maes B, Luypaerts A, et al. Magnesium chloride slows gastric emptying, but does not affect digestive functions. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2002;16(8):1571-7. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2036.2002.01302.x