Magnesium Chloride

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Magnesium chloride is an inorganic salt of magnesium and chloride ions used in food as a firming agent, colour retention agent, and coagulant (notably in tofu production). It is also a source of the essential mineral magnesium and occurs naturally in seawater and brine.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

EFSA's 2019 re-evaluation concluded that exposure to magnesium chloride as a food additive does not raise a safety concern at reported use levels, with mean exposures in all adult age groups at or below the reference value of 40 mg chloride/kg bw/day. The compound is of low acute oral toxicity, with no genotoxicity or carcinogenicity concerns identified. High supplemental doses of readily dissociable magnesium salts (including MgCl2) above 250 mg/day of elemental magnesium may cause osmotic diarrhoea in sensitive individuals, but this is not a concern at typical food-additive use levels.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Authorised under Annex II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 as a firming agent and colour retention agent. ADI is 'not specified' (group ADI with hydrochloric acid and other chloride salts E507–E509). Re-evaluated by EFSA FAF Panel in 2019 with no safety concern identified at use levels.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Listed as INS 511 in the FSSAI Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 (as amended). Permitted in specified food categories per Appendix A of those regulations.source
JECFA (JECFA (FAO/WHO))	Approved	INS 511; functional classes include colour retention agent and firming agent. ADI included in the group ADI for hydrochloric acid and bases (not numerically specified). JECFA evaluated at meetings 23 and 27; specifications in FAO Combined Compendium of Food Additive Specifications.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Affirmed as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) under 21 CFR 184.1426 for use as a nutrient supplement, firming agent, and flavour enhancer. No upper limit (UL) established for magnesium naturally present in food.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Kidney Disease — The kidneys play a major role in magnesium homeostasis; individuals with impaired renal function may be unable to adequately excrete excess magnesium, potentially leading to hypermagnesaemia at high intakes.

Heart Disease — Elevated serum magnesium can affect cardiac conduction; patients on medications for cardiac conditions or with pre-existing heart disease should consult a doctor regarding high magnesium chloride intake.

Ibs — Readily dissociable magnesium salts such as MgCl2 can exert an osmotic laxative effect in the gut; the SCF established a NOAEL of 250 mg/day of elemental magnesium from supplements to avoid osmotic diarrhoea, and IBS patients may be especially sensitive.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. 21 CFR 184.1426 – Magnesium chloride (GRAS affirmation). accessdata.fda.gov
2WHO. JECFA Monograph – Magnesium Chloride (INS 511). apps.who.int
3EFSA. Safety of mineral salt containing potassium and magnesium as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, 2025. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4EFSA. Re-evaluation of hydrochloric acid (E 507), potassium chloride (E 508), calcium chloride (E 509) and magnesium chloride (E 511) as food additives, 2019. efsa.europa.eu
5PubMed. Re-evaluation of hydrochloric acid (E 507), potassium chloride (E 508), calcium chloride (E 509) and magnesium chloride (E 511) as food additives, 2019. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched5 citations