beauty
cleaning
food
industrial

Sodium carbonate

E500 · CAS 1332-57-6 · 40/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 5 other CAS numbers

7542-12-3 · 1314087-39-2 · 1977561-09-3 · 2683064-49-3 · 497-19-8

Concern score

40/100Moderate concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Sodium carbonate in plain language

What it is: Also known as Sodium carbonate anhydrous · Dried sodium carbonate · Soda ash · Carbonic acid sodium salt (1:2) · Anhydrous sodium carbonate · Disodium salt carbonic acid
Show all 32 names
Disodium carbonate · Sodium carbonate (anhydrous) · Sodium salt of carbonic acid · Solvay soda · Bisodium carbonate · Calcined soda · Carbonic acid disodium salt · Carbonic acid sodium salt · Crystol carbonate · Disodium carbonate (Na2CO3) · E-500(I) · Ins NO.500(I) · INS-500(I) · Light Ash · Na2CO3 · Natriumkarbonat · Snowlite I · Soda · Soda Ash Light 4P · Sodium carbonate (Na2(CO3)) · Suprapur 6395 · V Soda · Washing soda · natrii carbonas · sodium carbonate(2:1) · Natrum carbonicum
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a pH buffer and a bulking agent.
Buffering
Bulking
Acidity regulator
Surfactant
Chelating agent
pH adjuster
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

E500

Used in food as

Raising agent
Acidity regulator
Anti-caking agent

EU safety status

Authorised in the EU without a numerical limit (Group I); EFSA re-evaluation not yet published.

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

Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II Part C(1) Group I (quantum satis)

Why it's flagged

EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 2802 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Furniture and furnishings, Cleaning and safety.

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 carbonate appears in these published regulatory listings.

In marketed US drugs
Inactive ingredient in US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Cleaning
Pharma
Food
Industrial

USFDAinactive ingredient database28 entries — 11 administration routes
- Route: INTRA-ARTERIAL; Dosage form: INJECTION, SOLUTION; Potency: ADJ PHSource →
- Route: INTRAMUSCULAR; Dosage form: INJECTION; Potency: 32.4 mgSource →
- Route: INTRAMUSCULAR; Dosage form: INJECTION, POWDER, FOR SOLUTION; Potency: 630 mgSource →
- Route: INTRAVASCULAR; Dosage form: INJECTION; Potency: ADJ PHSource →
- Route: INTRAVASCULAR; Dosage form: INJECTION, SOLUTION; Potency: ADJ PHSource →
- Route: INTRAVENOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION; Potency: 241 mgSource →
- Route: INTRAVENOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION, POWDER, FOR SOLUTION; Maximum daily exposure: 1248 mgSource →
- Route: INTRAVENOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION, POWDER, LYOPHILIZED, FOR SOLUTION; Maximum daily exposure: 1247 mgSource →
- Route: INTRAVENOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION, SOLUTION; Potency: ADJ PHSource →
- Route: OPHTHALMIC; Dosage form: SOLUTION; Potency: 0.01 %w/vSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE, DELAYED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 90 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE, EXTENDED RELEASE; Potency: 6 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: GRANULE, FOR SUSPENSION; Maximum daily exposure: 39 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: GUM, CHEWING; Maximum daily exposure: 240 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: LOZENGE; Maximum daily exposure: 500 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: SUSPENSION; Maximum daily exposure: 48 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET; Potency: 10.4 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, DELAYED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 90 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, EFFERVESCENT; Maximum daily exposure: 430 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, EXTENDED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 80 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, FILM COATED; Maximum daily exposure: 30 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TROCHE; Maximum daily exposure: 375 mgSource →
- Route: SUBCUTANEOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION; Potency: ADJ PHSource →
- Route: SUBLINGUAL; Dosage form: TABLET; Maximum daily exposure: 8 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: SOAP; Potency: 0.5 %w/wSource →
- Route: BUCCAL; Dosage form: GUM, CHEWING; Maximum daily exposure: 720 mgSource →
- Route: INFILTRATION; Dosage form: INJECTION; Potency: ADJ PHSource →
- Route: BUCCAL; Dosage form: TABLET; Maximum daily exposure: 20 mgSource →
EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
- Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
EUEFSAEFSA opinionScientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of sodium carbonate (soda ash) for all species (EFSA FEEDAP)
- Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of sodium carbonate (soda ash) for all species (EFSA FEEDAP)Source →
GLOBALJECFAEvaluatedJECFA evaluation record.
- JECFA evaluation record.Source →
GLOBALJECFANOT LIMITEDJECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT LIMITED. Functional class: acidity regulator.
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT LIMITED. Functional class: acidity regulator.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 2802 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Furniture and furnishings, Cleaning and safety. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including pH regulating agent, Chelating agent, Cleaning agent.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 2802 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Furniture and furnishings, Cleaning and safety. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including pH regulating agent, Chelating agent, Cleaning agent.Source →
USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 106 active drug products and 114 total products.
- FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 106 active drug products and 114 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 safety and efficacy of sodium carbonate (soda ash) for all species (EFSA FEEDAP)
  2010 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
JECFA
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives
- JECFA evaluation record.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →
- JECFA evaluation lists ADI NOT LIMITED. Functional class: acidity regulator.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Sodium carbonate 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 october 31, 2017
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 2030-07-31
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

codexalimentarius.net

Read →

Openfda substance

fao.org

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

No fragrance-linked caution surfaced in the current profile.

Good fit

This ingredient does not currently read as a fragrance-linked driver in the published evidence and hazard profile.

Where it has been recorded

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

Source records

2,802

Named organisations

Construction and building materialsFurniture and furnishingsCleaning and safetyCleaning products and household careFood and drugLaboratory supplies

Typical roles

BufferingBulkingAcidity regulatorSurfactantChelating agentpH adjuster

See products using Sodium carbonate →

Catalog

Found in these products

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

See all 673 →Find products without it →

Co-occurrence

Often appears with

Ingredients that frequently appear alongside Sodium carbonate in the catalog.