Folic acid (folacin)
59-30-3 · 4-Pteridinol, 2-amino-6-((p-((1,3-dicarboxypropyl)carbamoyl)anilino)methyl)- · 935E97BOY8 · Acfol (Spain) · Acide folique · Acido folico · Acidum folicum · Acifolic · Antianemia factor · Bio Science · Cytofol · Dosfolat B activ · Facid · Factor U · FOLACID · Folacin · Folaemin [Netherlands] · Folasic (Australia) · Folbal · Folcidin · Foldine · Foldine (France) · Folettes · Foliamin · folic acid · Folicare · Folicet · Folico (Italy) · Folina (Italy) · Folipac · Folsaeure · Folsan · Folsaure · Folsav · Folvite · Glutamic acid, N-(p-(((2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-pteridinyl)methyl)amino)benzoyl)-, l- · Incafolic · Kyselina listova · Lexpec · Liver Lactobacillus casei factor · Megafol · Millafol · N-(p-(((2-Amino-4-hydroxy-6-pteridinyl)methyl)amino)benzoyl)-L-glutamic acid · N-pteroyl-L-glutamic acid · Natur Flow · Nifolin [Denmark] · Novofolacid [Canada] · Preconceive · PteGlu · Pteroyl-L-glutamic acid · Pteroyl-L-monoglutamic acid · Pteroylglutamic acid · Pteroylmonoglutamic acid · Usaf cb-13 · Vitamin B11 · Vitamin B9 · Vitamin Bc · Vitamin Be · Vitamin M · Glutamic acid, N-(p-(((2-amino-4-hydroxypyrimido(4,5-b)pyrazin-6-yl)methyl)amino)benzoyl)-, L · N-(4-{[(2-amino-4-oxo-1,4-dihydropteridin-6-yl)methyl]amino}benzoyl)-L-glutamic acid · Folic acid (folacin)CAS 59-30-3
Listed as a nutrient supplement by the US.
Listed as nutrient supplements (US)
- United States: Nutrient supplement — FDA, Substances Added to Food: FOLIC ACID
Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, added to flour in many countries to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects.
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 433, 葉酸 (“Folic Acid” in the unofficial English translation). …Designated additive: Appended Table 1, item 433, 葉酸 (“Folic Acid” 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 | Permitted, with conditions | Designated food additive: Standards and Specifications for Food Additives, Part III, 3. …Designated food additive: Standards and Specifications for Food Additives, Part III, 3. 영양강화제 (nutrient fortifiers), 엽산; nutrient: 엽산. Standard for use (사용기준) of 엽산: (1) [to be used under the general standard for use in II. 2. 1), the minimum amount that achieves the technical effect, with no limit set for this additive in particular] “II. 2. 1)의 규정에 따라 사용하여야 한다.” The Korean is the standard as published. There is no official English translation of the current Code (the English version on MFDS’s website is the 2020 edition and has no legal effect); the English in square brackets is this site’s description of what each sentence does, not a translation of the foods or the levels. Compositional specifications (Part IV) are not imported, nor are the general standards in Part II, which apply to every additive. | Standards and Specifications for Food Additives (식품첨가물의 기준 및 규격), MFDS Notification, Part III (Standards for use, by item)retrieved 2026-10-18 |
| United States | Permitted, with conditions | 21 CFR 172.345retrieved 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 |
|---|---|---|
| South Korea | — | 1 no quantity stated |
| United States | — | 1 no quantity stated |
No regulator sets a figure for Folic acid (folacin). 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
Produced by chemical synthesis. It is more stable and more readily absorbed than the folates naturally present in leafy vegetables, which is why the synthetic form is used for fortification.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
Compare other additives on the dietary indexes.
- CAS registry number
- 59-30-3
- InChIKey
- OVBPIULPVIDEAO-LBPRGKRZSA-N
- PubChem
- CID 135398658
Every name it appears under
62 recorded names. A label may use any of them.
CAS registry number
- 59-30-3
As it appears in regulation
- Folic acid (folacin)
Other names
- 4-Pteridinol, 2-amino-6-((p-((1,3-dicarboxypropyl)carbamoyl)anilino)methyl)-
- 935E97BOY8
- Acfol (Spain)
- Acide folique
- Acido folico
- Acidum folicum
- Acifolic
- Antianemia factor
- Bio Science
- Cytofol
- Dosfolat B activ
- Facid
- Factor U
- FOLACID
- Folacin
- Folaemin [Netherlands]
- Folasic (Australia)
- Folbal
- Folcidin
- Foldine
- Foldine (France)
- Folettes
- Foliamin
- folic acid
- Folicare
- Folicet
- Folico (Italy)
- Folina (Italy)
- Folipac
- Folsaeure
- Folsan
- Folsaure
- Folsav
- Folvite
- Glutamic acid, N-(p-(((2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-pteridinyl)methyl)amino)benzoyl)-, l-
- Incafolic
- Kyselina listova
- Lexpec
- Liver Lactobacillus casei factor
- Megafol
- Millafol
- N-(p-(((2-Amino-4-hydroxy-6-pteridinyl)methyl)amino)benzoyl)-L-glutamic acid
- N-pteroyl-L-glutamic acid
- Natur Flow
- Nifolin [Denmark]
- Novofolacid [Canada]
- Preconceive
- PteGlu
- Pteroyl-L-glutamic acid
- Pteroyl-L-monoglutamic acid
- Pteroylglutamic acid
- Pteroylmonoglutamic acid
- Usaf cb-13
- Vitamin B11
- Vitamin B9
- Vitamin Bc
- Vitamin Be
- Vitamin M
Systematic names
- Glutamic acid, N-(p-(((2-amino-4-hydroxypyrimido(4,5-b)pyrazin-6-yl)methyl)amino)benzoyl)-, L
- N-(4-{[(2-amino-4-oxo-1,4-dihydropteridin-6-yl)methyl]amino}benzoyl)-L-glutamic acid
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 Folic acid (folacin)?
- Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, added to flour in many countries to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects.
- What is Folic acid (folacin) 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 Folic acid (folacin) banned in Europe?
- No. Folic acid (folacin) 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 Folic acid (folacin) permitted?
- Of the seven regulators this site reads, Japan, South Korea 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 Folic acid (folacin) vegan?
- Yes. Folic acid (folacin) 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
- kr 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.
Machine-readable: a JSON record of this additive is given on request —how to ask for access.
Follow changes to Folic acid (folacin):Atom feed — regulatory events, and any change the weekly refresh detects in its provisions.