What does Sodium ascorbate do?

Used in cosmetics as an antioxidant.

Is Sodium ascorbate safe?

Moderate concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

beauty
cleaning
food
industrial

Sodium ascorbate

E301 · CAS 912284-14-1 · 40/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 7 other CAS numbers

129940-98-3 · 156683-68-0 · 884311-57-3 · 1017795-34-4 · 1184919-96-7 · 2649053-32-5 · 134-03-2

Concern score

40/100Moderate concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Sodium ascorbate in plain language

What it is: Also known as Ascorbic acid sodium salt · Sodium L-ascorbate · Monosodium salt l-ascorbic acid · Monosodium l-ascorbate · Vitamin c sodium salt · 3-Oxo-L-gulofuranolactone sodium
Show all 28 names
Ascorbate (l-), sodium · Ascorbate de sodium · Ascorbato de sodio · Ascorbic acid sodium derivative · Ascorbic acid, sodium deriv. · Ascorbicin · Ascorbin · Cevalin · Cebitate · E-301 · Hbl 508 · Ins NO.301 · INS-301 · Iskia-C · L-Ascorbic acid sodium salt · L-Ascorbic acid, sodium salt (1:1) · Natri-C · Natrii ascorbas · Sodascorbate · Vitamin c sodium · ascorbato sodico · Vitamin C (as sodium ascorbate)
What it does: Used in cosmetics as an antioxidant.
Antioxidant
Preservative
Colourant
pH adjuster
Fragrance
Flavouring
Is it a concern?: Moderate concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

As a food additive

E-number

E301

Used in food as

Antioxidant

EU safety status

EFSA re-evaluated E301 in 2015: no safety concern at authorised uses.

It never counts as an additive of concern in a product’s food rating.

EFSA Journal 2015;13(5):4087 — Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of ascorbic acid (E 300), sodium ascorbate (E 301) and calcium ascorbate (E 302) as food additives

Why it's flagged

EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 132 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Specialty occupational products, Personal care.

The score describes this ingredient's chemical identity — its hazard profile from published classifications and regulatory status — not the safety of any product it appears in.

Regulation

No restrictions found. Sodium ascorbate appears in these published regulatory listings.

In marketed US drugs
Inactive ingredient in US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Cleaning
Pharma
Food
Industrial

USFDAinactive ingredient database7 entries — 4 administration routes
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: SUSPENSION, EXTENDED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 33 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET; Potency: 15 mgSource →
- Route: SUBCUTANEOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION, POWDER, FOR SOLUTION; Potency: 0.5 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE; Maximum daily exposure: 6 mgSource →
- Route: INTRAVENOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION, SOLUTION; Maximum daily exposure: 29 mgSource →
- Route: INTRAVENOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION; Maximum daily exposure: 625 mgSource →
- Route: INTRADERMAL; Dosage form: INJECTION, POWDER, FOR SOLUTION; Potency: 0.5 mgSource →
EUEFSAEFSA opinion3 entries
- Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of ascorbic acid (E 300), sodium ascorbate (E 301) and calcium ascorbate (E 302) as food additives (EFSA ANS)Source →
- Scientific Opinion on the use of sodium ascorbate as a food additive in vitamin D preparations intended to be used in formulae and weaning food for infants and young children (EFSA ANS)Source →
- Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of vitamin C (ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, ascorbyl palmitate, sodium calcium ascorbyl phosphate and sodium ascorbyl phosphate) as a feed additive for all animal species based on a dossier submitted by DSM Nutritional Products Ltd (EFSA FEEDAP)Source →
EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
- Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
GLOBALJECFANOT SPECIFIEDJECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT SPECIFIED. Functional class: antioxidant.
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT SPECIFIED. Functional class: antioxidant.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 132 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Specialty occupational products, Personal care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Antioxidant, Flavouring and nutrient, pH regulating agent.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 132 composition records across product categories including Laboratory supplies, Specialty occupational products, Personal care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Antioxidant, Flavouring and nutrient, pH regulating agent.Source →
USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 17 active drug products and 20 total products.
- FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 17 active drug products and 20 total products.Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →

Expert safety opinions

Independent scientific assessments cited by the records we hold, with the year and link where the record gives one.

SCCS
EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
No SCCS opinion on file.
CIR
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)
No CIR safety assessment on file.
EFSA
European Food Safety Authority
- Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of ascorbic acid (E 300), sodium ascorbate (E 301) and calcium ascorbate (E 302) as food additives (EFSA ANS)
  2015 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Scientific Opinion on the use of sodium ascorbate as a food additive in vitamin D preparations intended to be used in formulae and weaning food for infants and young children (EFSA ANS)
  2010 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
- Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of vitamin C (ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, ascorbyl palmitate, sodium calcium ascorbyl phosphate and sodium ascorbyl phosphate) as a feed additive for all animal species based on a dossier submitted by DSM Nutritional Products Ltd (EFSA FEEDAP)
  2013 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
JECFA
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT SPECIFIED. Functional class: antioxidant.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Sodium ascorbate yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

10 data sources

Where this comes from

CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
Open →
EFSA OpenFoodTox
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated September 2013
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA Inactive Ingredient Database
regulatory · updated 2026-01-09
Open →
FDA National Drug Code Directory
regulatory · updated 2027-12-31
Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
Open →
WHO JECFA Database
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Open →

Reference links (2)

Openfda substance

apps.who.int

Read →

Openfda substance

codexalimentarius.net

Read →

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Food use

Food-use source coverage is present in the current record.

Good fit

The ingredient appears in food-oriented source coverage or allowed-use references, which makes food use easier to support than a context with no domain signal at all.

Fragrance avoidance

Not a strong fit for fragrance avoidance because it carries Fragrance.

Avoid

The ingredient itself is a fragrance-linked signal, so it is better treated as an avoid case when fragrance exposure is the main concern.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Sodium ascorbate in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

132

Named organisations

Laboratory suppliesSpecialty occupational productsPersonal careRaw materialsFood and drug

Typical roles

AntioxidantPreservativeColourantpH adjusterFragranceFlavouring

See products using Sodium ascorbate →

Catalog

Found in these products

Their ingredient lists include Sodium ascorbate; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

See all 38 →Find products without it →