Ferric citrate
2338-05-8 · 3522-50-7 · 1,2,3-Propanetricarboxylic acid · Fe(III) citrate · Ferric citrate · Iron (III) citrate · Iron citrate · iron(3+) 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate · Ferric citrateCAS 2338-05-8
Listed as a nutrient supplement by the US.
Listed as nutrient supplements (US)
- United States: Nutrient supplement — FDA, Substances Added to Food: IRON CITRATE
- United States: Nutrient supplements — 21 CFR 184.1298, citing 21 CFR 170.3(o)(20)
Ferric citrate is an iron source used in fortified foods and supplements.
Where it is and isn’t permitted
| Jurisdiction | Status | Scope and limits | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and New Zealand | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Canada | No listing matchedHealth Canada’s lists name additives without E or INS numbers, so this site matches them by exact name. A substance listed there under a name this site does not recognise has no row here. | ||
| European Union | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Great Britain | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Japan | Permitted, with conditions | Designated additive: Appended Table 1, item 119, クエン酸鉄 (“Ferric Citrate” in the unofficial English translation). …Designated additive: Appended Table 1, item 119, クエン酸鉄 (“Ferric Citrate” in the unofficial English translation). Standards for use — Specifications and Standards for Foods, Food Additives, etc. (MHW Notification No. 370 of 1959), Part II (Food Additives), F (Standards for use): The Notification sets no standard for use (使用基準) for this additive, so it is not restricted there to particular foods or amounts. Compositional specifications for this additive, in the same Notification, are not imported and are not shown here; nor are the general rules in F 添加物一般, which apply to every additive. | Regulations for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act (MHW Ordinance No. 23 of 1948), Appended Table 1retrieved 2026-10-18 |
| South Korea | No listing matchedThis site imports Part III of South Korea’s Standards and Specifications for Food Additives, matched by CAS number, then INS number, then exact name. Mixed preparations and sanitisers are not imported, and an entry whose identifiers disagreed with a page’s is held for review, so an empty row does not show that South Korea does not permit the substance. | ||
| United States | Permitted | 21 CFR 184.1298retrieved 2026-10-17 | |
| Codex Alimentarius | Not listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited. |
How much is permitted
A listing usually limits the quantity as well as the food. Only one of the forms that takes is a figure: quantum satis and good manufacturing practice permit the amount the technological effect requires and no more, which is a limit rather than the absence of one. Figures below are the range across every food category this page is listed in, and categories differ between regulators — see how much is permitted.
| Japan | — | 1 no quantity stated |
|---|---|---|
| United States | — | 1 no quantity stated |
No regulator sets a figure for Ferric citrate. That is not an absence of control: where the listing says quantum satis or good manufacturing practice, the quantity is limited to what the effect requires.
What it is made from
Made by reacting an iron salt with fermentation-derived citric acid.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
Compare other additives on the dietary indexes.
- CAS registry number
- 2338-05-8
Every name it appears under
9 recorded names. A label may use any of them.
CAS registry number
- 2338-05-8
- 3522-50-7
As it appears in regulation
- Ferric citrate
Other names
- 1,2,3-Propanetricarboxylic acid
- Fe(III) citrate
- Ferric citrate
- Iron (III) citrate
- Iron citrate
Systematic names
- iron(3+) 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate
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 rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.
Common questions
Assembled from what is above, in the words the questions are usually asked in. Each answer is the same statement the relevant section makes, with the same citations behind it.
- What is Ferric citrate?
- Ferric citrate is an iron source used in fortified foods and supplements.
- What is Ferric citrate used for in food?
- It is listed as a nutrient supplement — the role the US assigns it. This page shows every function each regulator records, with the citation for each.
- Is Ferric citrate banned in Europe?
- No. Ferric citrate is not on the EU's list of authorised food additives, but it would not be expected to be: every role regulators give it — nutrient supplement — the EU regulates under separate law. Its absence from the additives list says nothing about whether it is permitted in Europe.
- Where is Ferric citrate permitted?
- Of the seven regulators this site reads, Japan and the US permit it. Each permission is for named foods at named levels, not a blanket one; the table on this page gives them with citations.
- Is Ferric citrate vegan?
- Yes. Ferric citrate is not derived from animals, and is suitable for vegetarians. This page says what it is made from and how.
Sources for this page
- jp retrieved 2026-10-18
- ecfr retrieved 2026-10-17
Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.
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