What is E500? (Food Additive Explained)
E500 is sodium bicarbonate — the same thing as baking soda. It's one of the most common and least controversial food additives, used as a raising agent in baked goods like bread, cakes, and biscuits.
What is E500?
Full name: Sodium Carbonates (Bicarbonate of Soda)
E500 covers a group of sodium carbonates: sodium carbonate (E500i), sodium hydrogen carbonate / bicarbonate of soda (E500ii), and sodium sesquicarbonate (E500iii). The most common form is E500ii — ordinary baking soda. It's a simple mineral compound that has been used in cooking for centuries.
What does E500 do in food?
E500 works as a raising agent and acidity regulator. When mixed with an acid (like yoghurt, lemon juice, or cream of tartar) and exposed to heat, it releases carbon dioxide gas. This creates the bubbles that make bread rise, cakes become fluffy, and biscuits turn light and crumbly. It's one of the oldest and simplest food additives still in use.
Where is E500 found?
E500 is commonly found in:
- Bread and rolls
- Cakes, scones, and muffins
- Biscuits and crackers
- Pancake and waffle mixes
- Fizzy drinks (as a buffer)
- Self-raising flour
Is E500 bad for you?
E500 is widely considered safe. It's the same substance people buy as baking soda for home cooking. EFSA and the FDA both approve it with no daily intake limit. Unlike many other E-numbers, E500 is commonly found in both home-made and commercially produced foods. It has no known adverse health effects at normal dietary levels.
Why E500 matters for food choices
E500 is interesting because it's a rare example of an E-number that doesn't automatically signal ultra-processed food. You'd use baking soda in a homemade cake just as a factory would. However, when E500 appears alongside a long list of other additives (emulsifiers, preservatives, flavourings), it's the combination that matters. No single additive tells the whole story — it's the overall ingredient list that reveals how processed a food is.
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