Calcium propionate

E number E282INS 282CAS 4075-81-4

Used as a preservative.

Calcium propionate is the most used mould inhibitor in bread and baked goods, preferred over the sodium salt because it does not interfere with yeast as much.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of Calcium propionate by jurisdiction. Every jurisdiction this site covers is listed, including those where the substance does not appear.
JurisdictionStatusScope and limitsCitation
United StatesFood and Drug AdministrationPermitted21 CFR 184.1221retrieved 2026-09-07
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFAPermitted, with conditions

2 food categories

highest permitted level 3,000 mg/kg

Show every food category
  • 01.6.2.1 Ripened cheese, includes rind — GMP
  • 01.6.6 Whey protein cheese — 3,000 mg/kg
CXS 192-1995 Table Three, INS 282and 2 further provisionsretrieved 2026-09-07

What it is made from

Made by neutralising propionic acid with a calcium base.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
CAS registry number
4075-81-4
InChIKey
BCZXFFBUYPCTSJ-UHFFFAOYSA-L
PubChem
CID 19999

Every name it appears under

28 recorded names. A label may use any of them.

E number

  • E282

INS number

  • 282

CAS registry number

  • 4075-81-4

As it appears in regulation

  • Calcium propionate

Other names

  • Bioban-C
  • C6H10CaO4
  • Ca-PROPIONATE
  • calcium dipropanoate
  • Calcium dipropionate
  • Calcium propanoate
  • Calcium propionate
  • CALCIUM PROPIONATE (E 282)
  • Calcium propionate;Bioban-C; Calcium dipropionate
  • calciumpropionate
  • CalClum propionate
  • Caswell No. 151
  • E 282
  • EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 077701
  • HSDB 907
  • INS NO.282
  • INS-282
  • Propanoate (calcium)
  • Propanoic acid, calcium salt
  • Propanoic acid, calcium salt (2:1)
  • propionic acid calcium
  • Propionic acid calcium 1000 microg/mL in Acetonitrile:Water
  • Propionic acid, calcium salt

Systematic names

  • Calcium propanoate

Hazard reference values

No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.

Evidence and how bodies read it

Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated by hand rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.

Sources for this page

  • ecfr retrieved 2026-09-07
  • gsfa retrieved 2026-09-07

Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.

Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/calcium-propionate.json