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Preservative

E281 (sodium propionate): what it is, its sources, vegan or not

E281 is sodium propionate, a preservative. E281 is made in a lab. Vegan and vegetarian profiles get Fits you.

By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 4 sourcesHow we check

Fits you

for a vegan profile

E281=made in a lab

What is E281?

E281 (sodium propionate) is a preservative, an additive that makes a food keep longer by protecting it from microbes.

What is E281 made from?

E281 is made in a lab.

  • Made in a lab

Is E281 vegan?

Fits you. E281 is made in a lab. Nothing from an animal.

What the app says to each profile, and the reason it shows.

VeganFits youE281 is made in a lab. Nothing from an animal.
VegetarianFits youE281 is made in a lab. Nothing from an animal.

What other names does E281 have on a label?

On a label, E281 can also appear as “INS 281”, “Preservative (281)”, “Preservative (E281)” or “Sodium propionate”.

Any of these on a pack means E281. The checker reads them all.

E281E 281E-281INS 281Preservative (281)Preservative (E281)Sodium propionate

What would change the answer for E281?

For E281, only the ingredient list itself: a code the camera cannot read gets Needs one more scan, and the app never guesses a code it cannot see.

Sources: EU, US and Codex additive rules

Where additives are listed and approved. Bravoora reads the source and the diet; it does not rate the hazard.

  1. EU Regulation 1333/2008 on food additives (the E-number list)
  2. EU Regulation 1169/2011, Annex II: the allergen sources a label must name
  3. US FDA: Food Additive Status List
  4. FAO/WHO Codex: General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) online

Names and classes cross-checked with Open Food Facts (Open Database License).

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