Foods Containing E500 (Sodium Carbonates)
E500 (Sodium Carbonates) is bicarbonate of soda — the raising agent in your baking cupboard. Completely safe, vegan and halal. Here's where you're most likely to find it on food labels.
Common foods that contain E500
E500 is used across cakes, biscuits, self-raising flour, bread and baking mixes. The foods where it appears most often include:
- Self-raising flour
- Cakes and biscuits
- Honeycomb
- Bread
- Effervescent drinks
Exact usage varies by brand and recipe — the only way to know for certain whether a specific product contains E500 is to check its ingredients list, where it must be declared by law, either as "E500" or as "Sodium Carbonates".
How to spot E500 on a label
In the UK and EU, additives must appear in the ingredients list with their function and either their E-number or full name — for example "raising agents: E500" or "raising agents: sodium carbonates". In the US the E-number system isn't used, so look for the full name "Sodium Carbonates" instead.
Should you avoid foods containing E500?
E500 is considered safe. It is authorised across the EU, UK and US, and safety evaluations by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have not identified health concerns at the levels used in food. For most people there is no reason to avoid E500.
Full guide to E500: safety, vegan and halal status →
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Additive data sourced from Open Food Facts (ODbL licence) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).