What is E514?
Complete guide to understanding sodium sulfate (Glauber’s salt) in your food
The Quick Answer
E514 is sodium sulfate, commonly known as Glauber’s salt or sal mirabilis.
It’s a white mineral powder used as an acidity regulator, anti-caking agent, and stabilizer in numerous foods.
Most people who consume processed foods, cheese, beer, or powdered mixes regularly consume trace amounts of it.
📌 Quick Facts
- Category: Acidity Regulator & Anti-Caking Agent
- Found in: Cheese, beer, chewing gum, powdered mixes, processed foods
- Safety: FDA-approved (GRAS), EFSA-approved, excellent safety profile
- Approved by: FDA, EFSA, JECFA
- Key Fact: No ADI needed—no safety concern at any approved use level
What Exactly Is E514?
E514 is sodium sulfate, a mineral salt available in two forms:
– E514(i) – Sodium Sulfate (Na₂SO₄): The primary form, also called Glauber’s salt, Thenardite, or sal mirabilis
– E514(ii) – Sodium Hydrogen Sulfate/Sodium Bisulfate (NaHSO₄): A related compound
Both are white odourless crystals or powders that are freely soluble in water. Food-grade E514 achieves high purity standards suitable for food use.
Sodium sulfate can be extracted from natural mineral sources (Glauber’s salt is the naturally occurring hydrated form) or synthetically produced from salt and sulfuric acid.
In technical terms, sodium sulfate is a mineral salt used as an acidity regulator, anti-caking agent, and stabilizer. Historically, it’s been used as a laxative for over 300 years under the name “Glauber’s salt,” but at food additive levels, this effect never occurs.
Where You’ll Find E514
E514 appears in numerous processed foods and beverages:
– Cheese and dairy products (ice cream, puddings, fat spreads, creams, whey)
– Beer and wine
– Other beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
– Chewing gum and confectionery
– Powdered mixes and supplements
– Pasta and cereals
– Processed and preserved fruits and vegetables
– Meat and fish products
– Sauces, spices, and condiments
– Food colorings (as diluent)
If you drink beer, eat processed cheese, or chew gum, you’ve likely encountered E514. It’s one of the most common food additives in processed foods.
How E514 Works in Food
E514 serves multiple critical functions in food production.
As an acidity regulator: E514 adjusts pH levels in foods, maintaining optimal acidity for taste, preservation, and stability. This is particularly important in beer and wine production, where pH control is critical for fermentation.
As an anti-caking agent: E514 keeps powdered products dry and free-flowing, preventing clumping in mixes, seasonings, and supplement powders.
As a stabilizer: E514 stabilizes chewing gum formulations and maintains consistency in dairy and processed foods.
As a diluent for colorings: E514 distributes food dyes evenly throughout products, ensuring uniform color and proper dispersion of other additives.
As a filling agent: E514 adds bulk to products while maintaining proper texture and consistency.
Why Do Food Companies Use E514?
E514 solves multiple technical challenges simultaneously.
First, it’s versatile—a single ingredient addresses acidity, caking, stability, and coloring distribution issues. Second, it’s cost-effective. Third, it has over 300 years of documented safe use—historically as a medicine, modernly as a food additive. Fourth, it’s naturally derived (from mineral sources), appealing to manufacturers seeking “natural” ingredients.
For brewers and cheese makers specifically, E514 is critical for pH control and proper fermentation. Without proper acidity regulators, these products cannot achieve correct flavor, stability, or shelf life.
Is It Safe?
Regulatory authorities confirm E514 is safe at approved use levels.
The FDA classifies sodium sulfate as “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS). The EFSA’s comprehensive 2019 re-evaluation concluded that sodium sulfate “does not raise a safety concern at the reported uses and use levels” and that “there is no need for a numerical acceptable daily intake (ADI).”
This approval is unqualified—no restrictions or caveats apply. E514 can be used at levels determined necessary for its functional purposes.
✓ Safety Confirmed: The EFSA’s 2019 assessment found actual exposure to sodium sulfate is “far below” the 300 mg/kg dose that would cause laxative effects. No safety concern exists at food use levels.
The EFSA’s 2019 Comprehensive Safety Assessment
The European Food Safety Authority’s thorough 2019 re-evaluation provides exceptional reassurance.
Key findings:
– Sodium sulfate is of low acute toxicity
– No concern with genotoxicity (genetic damage)
– No concern with carcinogenicity (cancer)
– No ADI needed because no safety concern exists at food use levels
– Mean exposure: 0.4 mg/kg bw per day (infants) to 35 mg/kg bw per day (toddlers)
– 95th percentile exposure: 3-68 mg/kg bw per day
– Critical finding: Actual exposure is “far below the 300 mg/kg dose that induced laxative effects in humans”
The safety margin is enormous—actual consumption would need to increase hundreds of times before any adverse effect could theoretically occur.
Why No ADI Was Established
The absence of an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) is exceptionally positive.
EFSA explicitly stated “there is no need for a numerical acceptable daily intake (ADI).” This doesn’t mean safety is uncertain. Rather, it means evidence so clearly supports safety that regulators determined no upper limit is necessary.
E514 is among the safest food additives available from this perspective—unrestricted use (up to functional amounts) poses no health concerns.
The Laxative Connection—Important Context
E514 has a historical role as a laxative—but this is irrelevant at food additive levels.
Sodium sulfate, known as “Glauber’s salt” or “sal mirabilis,” was used for over 300 years as a clinical laxative and cleansing agent. However, this medicinal use involved much larger doses than food contains.
EFSA found that laxative effects occur at 300 mg/kg body weight doses. Food additive use results in exposure of only 0.4-35 mg/kg bw per day—hundreds of times lower. This enormous safety margin means consumers eating food containing E514 will never experience laxative effects.
Natural Occurrence and Biological Compatibility
E514’s safety is supported by its natural status.
Sulfate is a natural constituent of human, animal, and plant biology—present in all biological materials. Sodium is abundant in diet. Together, they form a compound that organisms naturally process and metabolize.
Sodium sulfate’s historical medicinal use (for centuries without documented harm) provides real-world safety evidence.
Historical Context—Over 300 Years of Use
E514 has one of the longest documented histories of human use among food additives.
Named after Johann Rudolf Glauber (17th century), sodium sulfate was called “sal mirabilis” (miraculous salt) in traditional medicine. For over 300 years, it was the standard clinical laxative—used by millions of people repeatedly without documented serious harm.
This extensive historical use, despite higher doses than food contains, provides real-world evidence of safety across centuries and populations.
Manufacturing and Sources
E514 can be sourced from nature or manufactured—both are safe.
Natural sodium sulfate exists as Glauber’s salt (the hydrated decahydrate form) and Thenardite mineral. Food-grade material is also synthetically produced from salt (sodium chloride) and sulfuric acid.
Food-grade E514 must meet strict regulatory specifications for purity regardless of source, ensuring no contaminants are present.
Acute Toxicity Data
Sodium sulfate is classified as having low acute oral toxicity.
The LD50 (lethal dose in 50% of test subjects) is probably in excess of 5,000 mg/kg—meaning it would require consumption of tens of grams to present acute toxicity risk. Food additive use involves milligrams, not grams.
Comparison with Related Additives
E514 is part of the sulfate acid and salt family:
– E513: Sulfuric acid
– E514: Sodium sulfate (this product)
– E515: Potassium sulfates
– E516: Calcium sulfate
– E517: Ammonium sulfate
All five were evaluated together in EFSA’s 2019 assessment, and all received clean safety findings. E514 is among the most commonly used in beverage and cheese production.
Vegan, Vegetarian, and Allergen Status
E514 is suitable for:
– Vegan diets ✓
– Vegetarian diets ✓
– Gluten-free diets ✓
Sodium sulfate is a mineral compound with no animal products or byproducts involved in production or extraction.
The Bottom Line
E514 (sodium sulfate/Glauber’s salt) is a mineral additive used as an acidity regulator, anti-caking agent, and stabilizer across numerous food categories.
Regulatory authorities worldwide classify it as safe, with the EFSA specifically finding “no safety concern at reported uses and use levels.”
The FDA approves it as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe).
Its primary form (sodium sulfate) is a natural mineral with over 300 years of documented history as both a medicinal agent and food additive.
At normal food use levels, actual exposure is hundreds of times below amounts that would cause any health effect.
Its historical use as a laxative is irrelevant at food additive levels—the doses differ by hundreds of times.
As always, food labels must declare E514 when used, enabling informed consumer choice.