EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; food-use salts)

Food-use EDTA salts bind trace metals, helping protect foods from oxidation and discoloration. Only a small fraction is absorbed after swallowing. JECFA retains a daily value of 2.5 mg/kg body weight expressed as calcium disodium EDTA, equivalent to about 1.9 mg/kg as EDTA. These amounts are not interchangeable.

EFSA’s 2024 preliminary exposure models for E385 were below that value, and it allowed additional reproductive studies to be waived on that basis while requesting other updated information. This was a data call, not a completed new safety assessment. A 2021 mouse study found worse inflammation and tumor outcomes in induced colitis models. Its healthy-mouse barrier experiment used rectal exposure, not feeding.

A 2025 mouse study reported changes in gut bacteria and female food-adjusted fat gain, without demonstrating human harm or benefit. A 2026 cooked-bean experiment reported liver and kidney changes, but had uncertain EDTA identity, unmeasured residues and inconsistent reporting. These findings warrant continued review, but do not establish that permitted dietary exposure causes cancer, mineral deficiency or organ damage in people.

Research reviewed on September 5, 2026 · 12 sources