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Preservative

E284 (boric acid): what it is, its sources, vegan or not

E284 is boric acid, a preservative. E284 comes from minerals. Vegan and vegetarian profiles get Fits you.

By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 4 sourcesHow we check

Fits you

for a vegan profile

E284=minerals

What is E284?

E284 (boric acid) is a preservative, an additive that makes a food keep longer by protecting it from microbes. Allowed in the EU only in sturgeon caviar.

What is E284 made from?

E284 comes from minerals.

  • Minerals

Is E284 vegan?

Fits you. E284 comes from minerals. Nothing from an animal.

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

VeganFits youE284 comes from minerals. Nothing from an animal.
VegetarianFits youE284 comes from minerals. Nothing from an animal.

What other names does E284 have on a label?

On a label, E284 can also appear as “INS 284”, “Preservative (284)”, “Preservative (E284)” or “Boric acid”.

Any of these on a pack means E284. The checker reads them all.

E284E 284E-284INS 284Preservative (284)Preservative (E284)Boric acid

What would change the answer for E284?

For E284, 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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