E535

Sodium ferrocyanide

What the research shows

Concerning

in animal and lab studies only

A yellow crystalline solid that dissolves in water.1

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • EU permitted

What research says

Animal and lab studies only

  • Concern

    Kidney health2

    In animal studies, sodium ferrocyanide caused occasional kidney effects, but experts set a safe daily intake 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.

Regulatory status

Checked Sep 2026

Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating. A country appears here once we've found this ingredient on its official list.

How we check

Products

The 6 most-scanned of 250 products on Open Food Facts that list sodium ferrocyanide.

  • Table salt Stonemill · 750 g 1 additive
  • Fine Sea Salt Sainsbury's · 350 g 1 additive
  • Kosher salt Morton · 48 oz 1 additive
  • Coarse Kosher Salt Morton · 1.2 g 1 additive
  • Beef Stock Sainsbury's · 450 g 1 additive
  • ASDA Table Salt Asda · 750 grams 1 additive

References

  1. 1Sodium ferrocyanide. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
  2. 2Younes M, Aggett P, Aguilar F, et al. Re-evaluation of sodium ferrocyanide (E 535), potassium ferrocyanide (E 536) and calcium ferrocyanide (E 538) as food additives. EFSA J. 2018;16(7):e05374. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5374