Open Food Labels. Search 352 ingredients⌘K

E262Preservative · Sequestrant

Sodium acetates

What the research shows

Prototype

Conflicting

studies in people disagree or haven’t settled it

2 health findings on this page · See the findings

A colorless salt of acetic acid that absorbs water from the air.

Written from English Wikipedia1

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • EU permitted

What research says

Studies in people

  • No harm found

    Fat burning at rest2

    In people, sodium acetates did not change how much fat or carbohydrate the body used at rest.

  • Concern

    Fat burning during exercise3

    In six young men, sodium acetate lowered fat burning at rest and early in exercise.

How it’s made and used

  • Fish shelf life4

    Sodium acetates helped seer fish steaks last longer in cold storage by slowing bacterial growth.

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 6,725 products on Open Food Facts that list sodium acetates.

  • BIO Basmati Reis Vollkorn Cowbelle · 500 g 1 additive
  • Seeded Rye Bread Baker Street · 500 g 3 additives
  • Doritos Cool Original 180g Doritos · 180 g 6 additives
  • HOT Mexican Chilli & Lime Flavour Pringles · 160 g 5 additives
  • Cocktail rodeo Hacendado · 1pcs 10 additives
  • Burger Buns Prime Burger · 320 g 1 additive

References

  1. 1Sodium acetate. Wikipedia. Accessed September 25, 2026.
  2. 2Smith GI, Jeukendrup AE, Ball D. Sodium acetate induces a metabolic alkalosis but not the increase in fatty acid oxidation observed following bicarbonate ingestion in humans. J Nutr. 2007;137(7):1750-6. doi:10.1093/jn/137.7.1750
  3. 3Smith GI, Jeukendrup AE, Ball D. The effect of sodium acetate ingestion on the metabolic response to prolonged moderate-intensity exercise in humans. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2013;23(4):357-68. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.23.4.357
  4. 4Mohan CO, Ravishankar CN, Srinivasa Gopal TK, Lalitha KV, Asok Kumar K. Effect of reduced oxygen atmosphere and sodium acetate treatment on the microbial quality changes of seer fish (Scomberomorus commerson) steaks stored in ice. Food Microbiol. 2010;27(4):526-34. doi:10.1016/j.fm.2010.01.005