E224 - Potassium metabisulphite

Functions: Antioxidant, Preservative

Potassium metabisulfite, K2S2O5, also known as potassium pyrosulfite, is a white crystalline powder with a pungent sulfur odour. The main use for the chemical is as an antioxidant or chemical sterilant. It is a disulfite and is chemically very similar to sodium metabisulfite, with which it is sometimes used interchangeably. Potassium metabisulfite is generally preferred out of the two as it does not contribute sodium to the diet. Potassium metabisulfite has a monoclinic crystal structure which decomposes at 190 °C, yielding potassium sulfite and sulfur dioxide: K2S2O5-s- → K2SO3-s- + SO2-g- - Wikipedia

EFSA evaluation: Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of sulfur dioxide -E 220-, sodium sulfite -E 221-, sodium bisulfite -E 222-, sodium metabisulfite -E 223-, potassium metabisulfite -E 224-, calcium sulfite -E 226-, calcium bisulfite -E 227- and potassium bisulfite -E 228- as food additives (2016-04-14)

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has determined that some population groups have a high risk of consuming too much E224 - Potassium metabisulphite.

To evaluate your exposure to the E224 - Potassium metabisulphite food additive, you can browse our list of products that contain it. See the list of products with E224 - Potassium metabisulphite below.

	Infants	Toddlers	Children	Adolescents	Adults	Elderly
	< 1	1 to 2	3 to 9	10 to 17	18 to 64	65+
High risk (50% of people or more)
Moderate risk (5% of people or more)

: Risk of reaching or exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI)