Ferrous sulfate

CAS 17375-41-6

Ferrous sulfate is the cheapest and most readily absorbed iron fortificant, used in flour, cereals and infant foods. Its drawback is that it reacts with fats and colours, causing off-flavours and discolouration, which limits where it can be used.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of Ferrous sulfate 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 184.1315retrieved 2026-09-07
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFANot listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited.

What it is made from

Produced by dissolving iron in sulfuric acid, or recovered as a by-product of steel pickling and titanium dioxide manufacture.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
CAS registry number
17375-41-6
InChIKey
BAUYGSIQEAFULO-UHFFFAOYSA-L
PubChem
CID 24393

Every name it appears under

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

CAS registry number

  • 13463-43-9
  • 17375-41-6
  • 7720-78-7

As it appears in regulation

  • Ferrous sulfate

Other names

  • 2IDP3X9OUD
  • Blood Stop Powder
  • Combiron
  • dried ferrous sulfate
  • DRIED FERROUS SULPHATE
  • driedferrous sulfate
  • Duretter
  • Duroferon
  • Enteric Coated Ferrous Sulfate
  • Exsiccated ferrous sulphate
  • exsiccated iron(2+) sulfate
  • FE-Vite Iron Oral Solution
  • FeH2O5S
  • Ferobuff
  • Ferolix
  • Feromax
  • Feroritard
  • Ferr sulf, dried
  • Ferralyn
  • Ferro-Theron
  • Ferrograd
  • Ferrosi sulfas
  • Ferrosulfat
  • Ferrosulfate
  • FERROUS SULFATE
  • Ferrous sulfate (1:1)
  • Ferrous Sulfate 324mg Enteric Coated
  • Ferrous Sulfate 325 mg Green
  • Ferrous Sulfate 325 mg Red
  • Ferrous sulfate anhydrous
  • Ferrous Sulfate Enteric Coated
  • Ferrous Sulfate Enteric-Coated
  • Ferrous sulfate monohydrate
  • Ferrous sulfate, exsiccated
  • Ferrous sulfate,dried
  • Ferrous sulphate
  • Ferrous sulphate (1:1)
  • FERROUS SULPHATE ANHYDROUS
  • Ferrous Sulphate Monohydrate
  • FERROUS SULPHATE, DRIED
  • ferrous;sulfate;hydrate
  • Fersolate
  • Ferulen
  • Ferusal
  • FeSO4
  • FeSO4.H2O
  • FESO4: FERROUS SULFATE, IRON(II) SULFATE
  • Fespan
  • Iron (as ferrous sulfate)
  • Iron (as sulphate)
  • Iron monosulfate
  • Iron sulfate (1:1)
  • Iron sulfate (FeSO4)
  • IRON SULFATE (MONOHYDRATE)
  • Iron sulfate anhydrous
  • Iron sulphate
  • Iron sulphate (feso4)
  • IRON SUPPLEMENT
  • Iron( cento) sulfate hydrate
  • Iron() sulfate hydrate
  • Iron(2+) sulfate
  • Iron(2+) sulfate (1:1)
  • IRON(2+) SULFATE (1:1) HYDRATE
  • Iron(2+) sulfate monohydrate
  • iron(2+) sulfate--water (1/1)
  • Iron(2+) sulfate--water (1/1/1)
  • IRON(2+) SULPHATE (1:1) HYDRATE
  • iron(2+);sulfate;hydrate
  • Iron(II) sulfate
  • Iron(II) sulfate (1:1)
  • Iron(II) sulfate hydrate
  • Iron(II) sulfate hydrate, 99.999% trace metals basis
  • iron(II) sulfate monohydrate
  • Irospan
  • Kendural
  • Kesuka
  • Odophos
  • ONE VITE Iron Supplement Liquid
  • Quickfloc (salt)
  • Sal chalybis
  • SFE 171
  • Slow Fe
  • Sorbifer durules
  • Sulfuric acid iron(2+) salt monohydrate
  • Sulfuric acid, iron(2+) salt (1:1)
  • Sulfuric acid, iron(2+) salt (1:1), monohydrate
  • Tetucur
  • XBDUTCVQJHJTQZ-UHFFFAOYSA-L

Systematic names

  • Iron(2+);sulfate;hydrate
  • Iron(II) sulfate hydrate, puriss., meets analytical specification of Ph. Eur., BP, exsiccated, 86.0-89.0% FeSO4 basis

Hazard reference values

Values set by assessing bodies. A body that has not set a value is not listed here.
TypeValuePopulationAssessed byOpinion
ADI12.5 mg/kg bw/dayconsumersEFSA2011
ADI0.8 mg/kg bw/dayconsumersEFSAnot identified in the dataset

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

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

Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/ferrous-sulfate.json