What is E380?

Complete guide to understanding E380 (Triammonium Citrate/Ammonium Citrate) in your food

The Quick Answer

E380 is triammonium citrate, the three-times ammonia-neutralized salt of citric acid—also called ammonium citrate or tribasic ammonium citrate.

It’s used in food primarily as an acidity regulator, buffer, emulsifier, and—importantly—as a preservative that prevents browning and extends shelf life by maintaining pH stability.

E380 is a versatile compound derived from citric acid (a natural acid present in all fruits), making it one of the more “natural” synthetic additives available in food.

What Exactly Is It?

E380 is triammonium citrate, the triple ammonium salt of citric acid.

Citric acid is a weak organic acid naturally present in all citrus fruits, berries, and other foods. When citric acid (which has three acidic carboxylic acid groups) is neutralized with ammonia, the result is triammonium citrate—a salt where three ammonium ions (NH₄⁺) are bonded to the citrate anion (C₆H₅O₇³⁻).

This compound is fundamentally different from citric acid itself: while citric acid is sour and acidic, triammonium citrate is neutral to slightly alkaline (pH ~7.7) and has buffering properties instead of acidifying properties.

Chemical composition:

• Molecular formula: C₆H₁₇N₃O₇
• Also written as: 3NH₄⁺ + C₆H₅O₇³⁻
• Molecular weight: 243.22 g/mol
• CAS Number: 3458-72-8
• EC Number: 222-394-5

How it’s made:

The production process involves two key steps:

• Step 1 – Citric acid production: Glucose (from corn starch or sugar) is fermented using the fungus Aspergillus niger to produce citric acid (E330)
• Step 2 – Ammonium salt formation: The citric acid is neutralized with ammonia (NH₃) or ammonium compounds to create triammonium citrate. Three ammonia molecules are required to fully neutralize all three acidic groups on the citric acid molecule

Why three ammonia molecules: Citric acid (E330) has three carboxylic acid groups. Each one needs to be neutralized by one ammonia molecule, resulting in the “tri-” (three) ammonium citrate compound.

Where You’ll Find It

E380 appears in a limited but important range of food products:

• Non-alcoholic soft drinks (most common use)
• Chocolate confectionery
• Cheese and cheese products (particularly caseinate products)
• Cheese spreads
• Dairy products and dairy-based emulsions
• Emulsifier preparations
• Processed cheese
• Some beverage and flavoring systems

Regulatory approval scope: E380 is approved for use in many food categories under good manufacturing practices (GMP), including caseinate products, heat-treated buttermilk, and certain dairy products. In the US, it’s designated as GRAS for direct food use and also as an indirect additive in adhesives.

E380 is less commonly used than some other acidity regulators like citric acid (E330) or sodium citrates (E331-E333), but it plays important specific roles in soft drinks and cheese products where its buffering and emulsifying properties are particularly valuable.

Why Do Food Companies Use It?

E380’s primary function is pH buffering combined with emulsion stabilization and browning prevention.

Food manufacturers use triammonium citrate for multiple strategic advantages:

• pH buffering: Maintains stable pH in products; resists pH changes when acids or bases are added
• Weak acid-weak base system: Acts as a buffer due to citrate’s ability to accept or donate protons
• Browning prevention: Antioxidant capacity prevents oxidative browning of food
• Color preservation: Maintains product color stability during storage
• Emulsifier: Stabilizes emulsions of oil and water; improves texture in cheese and dairy products
• Shelf life extension: Prevents spoilage through pH stability and antioxidant action
• Neutral pH advantage: Unlike citric acid which is sour, E380 provides buffering without acidic taste
• Flavor neutrality: Doesn’t impart harsh sour flavor; creates neutral pH environment
• Chelation properties: Citrate ion can bind metal ions (calcium, magnesium) that cause turbidity or unwanted reactions
• Ammonia source: Contributes ammonia, which can affect flavor and microbial growth
• Chemical stability: Doesn’t degrade under normal processing conditions
• Solubility: Dissolves completely in water (>1000 mg/L); easy to incorporate
• Non-corrosive: Unlike some acidifiers, not corrosive to equipment

Unique advantage in soft drinks: E380 is particularly valuable in soft drinks where manufacturers want to maintain neutral to slightly alkaline pH (around 7.7) while still providing buffering capacity and preventing oxidation. This is different from products that need to be acidic.

Cheese application advantage: In cheese and dairy products, E380 acts as both emulsifier and pH stabilizer, improving texture and preventing unwanted pH shifts that could affect protein precipitation or spoilage.

Is It Safe?

E380 is approved by major regulatory authorities and is considered safe for food use.

Regulatory approval:

• FDA approved: Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) as a direct human food ingredient; also approved as indirect additive in adhesives
• EFSA approved: Listed as authorized food additive in European Union
• JECFA approved: ADI not derived (not specified); daily intake not limited (1979 evaluation)
• FAO/WHO approved: Included in Codex GSFA (General Standard for Food Additives)
• International approval: Approved in virtually all countries worldwide

Safety profile:

• ADI status: “Not specified” (set 1979)—indicating no safety concerns
• Acute toxicity: Low acute toxicity; no documented toxicity at food use levels
• Chronic toxicity: No documented chronic toxicity from food use
• No genotoxicity: No evidence of genetic damage
• No reproductive effects: Safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding
• Metabolism: Body metabolizes it as citrate and ammonia—both normal dietary components
• Natural origin: Derived from citric acid, which occurs naturally in all fruits
• Ammonia component: Ammonia is a normal metabolic product; body produces ammonia continuously
• Citrate metabolism: Citrate is a normal intermediate in cellular energy (Krebs cycle)
• No documented adverse effects: No widespread adverse effects documented from food use
• GI absorption: Absorbed and metabolized normally through standard citrate and ammonia pathways

Important safety context: Because E380 is derived from citric acid (a completely natural acid) and ammonia (a normal metabolic product), it’s considered one of the safer synthetic additives. The body already produces ammonia as a normal metabolic waste product and has mechanisms to handle it safely.

Natural vs Synthetic Version

E380 is synthetically manufactured but derived entirely from natural sources:

Source and production:

• Citric acid source: Fermented from glucose (corn starch or sugar) using Aspergillus niger fungus—natural fermentation process
• Ammonia source: Synthesized or sourced from agricultural/industrial processes
• Salt formation: Chemical neutralization to create the triammonium citrate salt
• Final product: Synthetic salt compound (doesn’t exist in nature); chemically identical regardless of source

Perceived “naturalness”: E380 is derived from natural citric acid and normal ammonia metabolite, making it “natural-origin” but not “natural” in the strict regulatory sense. It doesn’t occur as such in nature—it’s synthesized by combining two natural compounds.

Vegetarian/vegan/dietary status:

• Vegan: Yes—no animal products in synthesis
• Vegetarian: Yes
• Kosher: Yes (pareve)
• Halal: Yes (when citric acid source complies)
• Gluten-free: Yes
• Dairy-free: Yes (despite food use in dairy products)

Natural Alternatives

Want to avoid E380 or looking for alternative pH buffers and emulsifiers?

Some alternatives include:

• E330 (Citric acid) – The parent compound; provides acidity instead of buffering
• E331-E333 (Sodium citrates) – Sodium salts of citric acid; buffering and pH regulation
• E334-E337 (Tartrates) – Salts of tartaric acid; naturally occurring in grapes
• E500-E504 (Sodium/potassium carbonates/bicarbonates) – Alternative pH buffers
• Sodium phosphates – Alternative pH buffers and emulsifiers
• Potassium citrate – Potassium salt of citric acid
• Calcium citrate – Calcium salt of citric acid
• Natural citrus juices – For some applications; contains citric acid naturally
• Cream of tartar – Natural tartrate buffer

Related Citrate Additives

E380 is part of the citrate additive family:

• E330 (Citric acid): The acidic parent compound; sour taste; acidifying function
• E331 (Sodium citrates): Sodium salts of citric acid; varying degrees of neutralization
• E332 (Calcium citrates): Calcium salts of citric acid; provides calcium and pH buffering
• E333 (Potassium citrates): Potassium salts of citric acid; provides potassium and buffering
• E380 (Triammonium citrate): Ammonium salt of citric acid; neutral pH; provides ammonia
• E381 (Ferric ammonium citrate): Iron salt of citric acid; iron supplementation

Key difference from E331-E333: E380 provides ammonia component instead of mineral ions (sodium, potassium, calcium), and has neutral to slightly alkaline pH versus acidic pH of citric acid.

The Bottom Line

E380 (triammonium citrate) is a pH buffer and emulsifier derived from citric acid (natural acid in all fruits) and ammonia (normal metabolic compound).

It’s found in soft drinks, chocolate confectionery, and cheese products—where it maintains pH stability, prevents browning, and stabilizes emulsions.

E380 is approved by the FDA, EFSA, JECFA, and virtually all regulatory bodies worldwide with no ADI limit, indicating high safety confidence.

Key advantages: E380 is one of the safer synthetic additives because it’s derived from completely natural compounds (citric acid from fruits and ammonia from metabolism). It provides neutral pH buffering without the sour taste of citric acid—making it ideal for applications where pH stability is needed but acidic flavor isn’t desired.

For consumers: E380 is an acceptable additive with a well-established safety record. Its derivation from natural citric acid provides additional safety reassurance despite being a synthetic compound.

Key distinction: While E380 is derived from citric acid, it’s not the same thing. Citric acid (E330) acidifies foods and tastes sour, while E380 buffers pH and maintains neutrality—making them appropriate for different food applications.