Ferric ammonium citrate

INS 381CAS 1185-57-5

Used as an anticaking agent.

Ferric ammonium citrate is an iron fortificant and an anticaking agent for salt.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of Ferric ammonium citrate 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 184.1296retrieved 2026-09-07
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFAPermitted, with conditions

1 food category

highest permitted level 10 mg/kg

CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 381, food category 14.1.4.3retrieved 2026-09-07

What it is made from

Made by dissolving ferric hydroxide in citric acid and neutralising with ammonia.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
CAS registry number
1185-57-5
InChIKey
FRHBOQMZUOWXQL-UHFFFAOYSA-N
PubChem
CID 118984355

Every name it appears under

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

E number

  • E381

INS number

  • 381

CAS registry number

  • 1185-57-5

As it appears in regulation

  • Ferric ammonium citrate

Other names

  • 1,2,3-Propanetricarboxylic acid, 2-hydroxy-, ammonium iron(3+) salt
  • 1,2,3-Propanetricarboxylic acid, 2-hydroxy-, ammonium iron(3+) salt (1:?:?)
  • 2-HYDROXY-1,2,3-PROPANETRICARBOXYLIC ACID AMMONIUM IRON (3+) SALT
  • Ammonii ferri citras
  • Ammonium ferric citrate
  • Ammonium iron(3+) 2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylate
  • Ammonium iron(3+) citrate
  • Ammonium iron(III) citrate
  • Citric acid, ammonium iron salt, green
  • Citric acid, ammonium iron(3+) salt
  • Ferri Seltz
  • Ferri-ammoniumcitrat, braunes
  • Ferric ammonium citrate
  • FERRIC AMMONIUM CITRATE (USP)
  • FERRIC AMMONIUM CITRATE CONTAINS NOT LESS THAN 16.5 PERCENT AND NOT MORE THAN 18.5 PERCENT OF IRON
  • Ferric Ammonium Citrate, Brown
  • Ferric ammonium citrate, green
  • Ferriseltz
  • Ferrum citricum ammoniatum fuscum
  • HSDB 446
  • Ins no.381
  • Ins-381
  • Iron ammonium citrate
  • Iron ammonium citrate, green
  • iron(3+) 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid amine
  • UVP74NG1C5

Systematic names

  • iron(3+) 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate ammoniate

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/ferric-ammonium-citrate.json