Preservative
E285 sodium tetraborate (borax): what it is, its sources, vegan or not
E285 is sodium tetraborate (borax), a preservative. E285 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
E285=minerals
What is E285?
E285, sodium tetraborate (borax), 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 E285 made from?
E285 comes from minerals.
- Minerals
Is E285 vegan?
Fits you. E285 comes from minerals. Nothing from an animal.
What the app says to each profile, and the reason it shows.
What other names does E285 have on a label?
On a label, E285 can also appear as “INS 285”, “Preservative (285)”, “Preservative (E285)”, “Sodium tetraborate (borax)” or “Borax”.
Any of these on a pack means E285. The checker reads them all.
What would change the answer for E285?
For E285, 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.
- EU Regulation 1333/2008 on food additives (the E-number list)
- EU Regulation 1169/2011, Annex II: the allergen sources a label must name
- US FDA: Food Additive Status List
- 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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