Lactic acid
Function: Acidity regulators
E270 is the European food-additive number for Lactic acid, an acidity regulator — used to control and stabilise the pH of a food. LACTIC ACID is an organic compound with the formula CH3CH-OH-CO2H.
What is E270 used for?
Lactic acid (E270) is an acidity regulator — used to control and stabilise the pH of a food. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all Acidity regulators (E-numbers).
Is E270 safe or restricted?
E270 is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as “No known concern” and does not make health claims. See the methodology for how regulatory levels are assigned, or the guide to how EU additives are approved, re-evaluated and banned.
Is E270 vegan or vegetarian?
Lactic acid (E270) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
The production source can vary between manufacturers — the Forkin app shows product-specific vegan and vegetarian signals where available, based on ingredient and label data. Always read the label for allergens.
Which foods contain E270?
E270 appears in 58,887 of the 4.9 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Olives, Candy & Sweets, and Gummy Candy.
- Olives3,163
- Candy & Sweets2,342
- Gummy Candy1,551
- Potato Chips1,525
- Cheese1,178
- Drinking Yogurt / Kefir1,109
- Pesto1,094
- Corn Snacks1,004
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E270 across the catalogue.
Counts reflect Forkin's independently enriched product catalogue and update as new products are added — they are not a market-share statistic.
Frequently asked questions about E270
- What is E270?
- E270 is the E-number for Lactic acid, an acidity regulator — used to control and stabilise the pH of a food. LACTIC ACID is an organic compound with the formula CH3CH-OH-CO2H.
- What is E270 used for?
- Lactic acid (E270) is an acidity regulator — used to control and stabilise the pH of a food. Manufacturers add it during processing rather than for nutrition. The Forkin app shows which products in your scan history actually contain it.
- Which foods contain E270?
- E270 appears in 58,887 of the 4.9 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Olives, Candy & Sweets, and Gummy Candy. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E270 vegan or vegetarian?
- Lactic acid (E270) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The Forkin app shows product-specific vegan and vegetarian signals where available, based on ingredient and label data, since the source can vary between manufacturers.
- Is E270 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E270 is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as ‘No known concern’ and does not make health claims — see the methodology page for how regulatory levels are assigned, and the Forkin app for the full profile, including acceptable daily intake (ADI) and restrictions by country.
See the full profile in Forkin
The Forkin app surfaces the full regulatory profile of E270 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan and vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.