Retinyl palmitate
What the research shows
Concerning
in studies of people
A form of vitamin A found in animals.
It is how animals store vitamin A.1
- May not be vegan
- May not be vegetarian
What research says
Studies in people
-
Concern
Bone loss and high calcium2
Too much preformed vitamin A from supplements and animal foods may cause bone loss and high calcium.
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.
Products
The 6 most-scanned of 18,930 products on Open Food Facts that list retinyl palmitate.
- Cheerios General Mills · 8.9 oz 2 additives
- Kefir Lifeway · 946 ml 1 additive
- Cheerios General Mills · 18oz (510 g) 2 additives
- Core Power High Protein Milk Shake Chocolate fairlife · 14oz 5 additives
- Soymilk Silk · 1.89 L 1 additive
- Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal Cheerios · 2 x 1 lb 4.35 oz (20.35 oz) (576 g) 2 additives
References
- 1Retinyl palmitate. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 2Borgan SM, Khan LZ, Makin V. Hypercalcemia and vitamin A: A vitamin to keep in mind. Cleve Clin J Med. 2022;89(2):99-105. doi:10.3949/ccjm.89a.21056