Sodium ascorbate in infant formula vitamin D preparations
What it found
The amounts of sodium ascorbate carried over from vitamin D preparations into infant formula and weaning food are tiny compared with what the formula already contains.
The authors say this use raises no safety concern.
What they found
Tiny carry over
A maximum carry over of 1 mg/l sodium ascorbate works out to 0.12 mg/l sodium and 0.88 mg/l ascorbate.
Compared with formula rules
Infant formula and follow-on formula must contain 62-221 mg/l vitamin C and 125-413 mg/l sodium.
Only a marginal addition
The carry over from the vitamin D preparation would add only a very small amount to the vitamin C and sodium already in the finished product.
What the authors conclude
“the Panel concluded that the proposed extension of use of the food additive sodium ascorbate (E 301), intended to be used as an antioxidant for the vitamin D preparations for use in infant formulae and follow-on formulae, is not of safety concern.”
Also in their conclusions
- They concluded that the maximum carry over of 1 mg/l sodium ascorbate would only marginally contribute to the vitamin C and sodium content of the finished products.
- They concluded that the proposed extension of use of sodium ascorbate (E 301) as an antioxidant for vitamin D preparations in infant formulae and follow-on formulae is not of safety concern.
How it was done
Sodium ascorbate is already used as a vitamin C source in infant formula. The authors looked at whether extending its use as an antioxidant in vitamin D preparations for these products would be a problem.
They compared the sodium and vitamin C that would come from the sodium ascorbate carried over into formula with the amounts formula is required to contain. They used the fact that sodium ascorbate is 11.6% sodium and a maximum carry over of 1 mg/l.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This opinion is based on comparing amounts, not on feeding studies in infants.
- It cannot show what would happen if the amounts used were higher than the maximum carry over considered.
The paper
- Title
- Scientific Opinion on the use of sodium ascorbate as a food additive in vitamin D preparations intended to be used in formulae and weaning food for infants and young children
- Type
- Scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS) (2010). Scientific Opinion on the use of sodium ascorbate as a food additive in vitamin D preparations intended to be used in formulae and weaning food for infants and young children. EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1942.Free full textPubMed 42004135DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error