Vinegar Powder | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Vinegar powder (buffered vinegar) is produced by spray-drying fermentation-derived vinegar with buffering agents such as sodium or potassium hydroxides and carbonates; its primary constituents are acetic acid and its salts. It is used as a preservative and acidity regulator in foods such as cheese, pasta, canned fruits, and vegetables.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

EFSA concluded there is no safety concern for buffered vinegar powder at proposed maximum use levels, and no acceptable daily intake (ADI) was established because acetic acid is a natural constituent of both the diet and the human body. Buffered vinegar powder contains sodium and potassium from the buffering agents, which may be relevant for individuals on sodium- or potassium-restricted diets (e.g., hypertension, kidney disease). No IARC carcinogenicity classification applies to vinegar or its powdered derivatives.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Assigned E267 under Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2086 dated 28 September 2023, amending Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 Annex II. Approved as preservative and acidity regulator in unripened cheese (01.7.1), whey cheese (01.7.4), canned or bottled fruit and vegetables (04.2.3), fresh pasta (06.4.1), pre-cooked pasta (06.4.3), and potato gnocchi (06.4.4). No ADI established; acetic acid and its salts are natural dietary constituents per EFSA 2013 assessment.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Vinegar powder and fermented vinegar powder approved under FSS (Approval for Non-Specified Food and Food Ingredients) Regulations, 2017; approval reference 55/Std/PA/FSSAI/2022, dated 01.08.2022, applied for by M/s Corbion India.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Vinegar is explicitly cited by FDA as an example of a GRAS substance; vinegar powder as a conventionally processed, spray-dried derivative inherits this GRAS status. No standalone CFR entry exists specifically for 'vinegar powder'; regulated under general GRAS principles (21 CFR 170.30).source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Hypertension — Buffered vinegar powder contains sodium salts (up to ~30% sodium cations in dried form) from the buffering process; individuals on sodium-restricted diets should monitor cumulative intake from processed foods containing this ingredient.

Kidney Disease — The potassium and sodium content of buffered vinegar powder may pose a concern for individuals with kidney disease who require strict electrolyte restriction, as the dried powder contains up to 40% potassium cations.

Ibs — The residual free acetic acid in vinegar powder (2–20% w/w in dried form) may irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa and exacerbate symptoms in individuals with acid-sensitive conditions such as IBS or gastro-oesophageal reflux.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. Understanding How the FDA Regulates Food Additives and GRAS Ingredients. fda.gov
2other. Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2086 of 28 September 2023 amending Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 and Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 as regards buffered vinegar (E 267), 2023. eur-lex.europa.eu
3FSSAI. List of product(s)/ingredient(s) applications Approved under FSS (Approval for Non-Specified Food and Food Ingredients) Regulations, 2017, 2022. fssai.gov.in
4EFSA. Safety evaluation of buffered vinegar as a food additive, 2022. efsa.europa.eu
5PubMed. Safety evaluation of buffered vinegar as a food additive (PMC full text), 2022. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched5 citations