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E351 Potassium malate is the potassium salt of malic acid.
E351 Potassium malate functions as a food additive, acidity regulator, and flavor enhancer in a variety of products, including fruit juices, canned vegetables, and sauces.
E351 Potassium malate is considered safe for consumption, though synthetic varieties are generally restricted in infant foods.
CAS Number: 585-09-1
Molecular Formula: C4H7KO5
Molecular Weight: 174.19
EINECS Number: 209-549-2
Synonyms: Dipotassium malate, 585-09-1, Potassium malate, Butanedioic acid, hydroxy-, dipotassium salt, UNII-5YO4AE78DB, EINECS 209-549-2, 5YO4AE78DB, DL-POTASSIUM MALATE, INS NO.351(II), INS-351(II), RACEMIC DIPOTASSIUM MALATE, POTASSIUM MALATE [WHO-DD], MALIC ACID, DIPOTASSIUM SALT, Butanedioic acid, 2-hydroxy-, potassium salt (1:2), E-351(II), POTASSIUM DL-ALPHA-HYDROXYSUCCINATE, RefChem:134814, Potassium salt of malic acid, 209-549-2, Potassium 2-hydroxysuccinate, dipotassium 2-hydroxybutanedioate, dipotassium;2-hydroxybutanedioate, 98% technical grade, Potassium2-hydroxysuccinate, SCHEMBL95331, C4H4K2O5, DTXSID80974053, SVICABYXKQIXBM-UHFFFAOYSA-L, MFCD30478694, AKOS028109636, AS-66187, DB-251522, NS00080149, A11573, 2-Hydroxy-butanedioic acid potassium salt (1:2), Q408755, Kaliummalat-Lung;2-Hydroxybutanedioic acid dipotassium salt;Malic acid dipotassium;dipotassium 2-hydroxybutanedioate;dipotassium 2-hydroxysuccinate;Butanedioic acid, hydroxy-, dipotassiuM salt;L(+)-Potassium Malate;potassium dextro,laevo-malate
E351 Potassium malate is a compound with formula K2(C2H4O(COO)2).
It is the potassium salt of malic acid.
As a food additive, it has the E number E351.
E351 Potassium malate is used as acidity regulator or acidifier for use in, for example, canned vegetables, soups, sauces, fruit products, and soft drinks.
E351 Potassium malate also acts as an antioxidant and a food flavoring agent.
It is an important compound in the transport of nitrate from the roots of a plant to the leaves of the plant.
E351 Potassium malate is the salt that transports from the leaves to the root.
At the root, the potassium malate oxidizes to potassium carbonate, then is converted to potassium nitrate by soil nitrate and transported back to the leaves.
E351 Potassium malate is the potassium salt of malic acid, formed when malic acid (a naturally occurring fruit acid) is neutralized with potassium ions, and it is used mainly as an acidity regulator, buffering agent, stabilizer, and potassium source in food and industrial applications because it helps control pH, improve mineral balance, and provide a smooth acidic taste without harsh sourness.
It is closely related to malic acid found naturally in apples and many fruits.
E351 Potassium malate improves acidity control and mineral supplementation.
E351 Potassium malate consists of a malic acid backbone (a dicarboxylic acid with a hydroxyl group) combined with potassium ions (K⁺), forming salts that are highly water-soluble and effective in buffering systems that resist rapid changes in pH.
Its structure allows it to participate in acid–base equilibrium in solution.
E351 Potassium malate improves buffering capacity and chemical stability.
E351 Potassium malate appears as a white crystalline or granular powder, and it dissolves easily in water to form mildly acidic to neutral solutions depending on concentration, making it suitable for liquid formulations such as beverages and pharmaceutical solutions.
It is stable under normal storage conditions and non-volatile.
E351 Potassium malate improves handling and formulation convenience.
E351 Potassium malate acts mainly as a pH stabilizer and acidity regulator, helping maintain consistent acidity levels in products while also contributing potassium, which is an essential dietary mineral involved in electrolyte balance and physiological functions.
It also influences flavor perception by smoothing acidity.
E351 Potassium malate improves nutritional value and taste balance.
E351 Potassium malate is best described as a water-soluble potassium salt of malic acid used to regulate acidity, stabilize formulations, enhance flavor smoothness, and provide potassium in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and industrial systems.
E351 Potassium malate is also important in taste modulation science, because malate-based salts don’t just adjust acidity but also change how sourness is perceived on the tongue, producing a slower, smoother acidity curve compared to sharper acids like citric or phosphoric acid.
This makes it especially useful in products where “soft sourness” is preferred over sharp tanginess.
E351 Potassium malate improves sensory design and flavor refinement.
In sports and functional beverage formulation, E351 Potassium malate is used because it combines acidity regulation with potassium delivery, which supports electrolyte balance, hydration, and muscle function, especially in drinks designed for physical activity recovery.
E351 Potassium malate integrates well into isotonic drink systems.
This improves functional hydration and electrolyte support.
E351 Potassium malate helps maintain a natural “fresh fruit” acid profile even after pasteurization, where heat treatment would otherwise flatten or distort acidity, helping preserve a more authentic fruit taste.
This is especially important in premium juice products.
E351 Potassium malate improves flavor authenticity and processing stability.
E351 Potassium malate is used because it provides moderate buffering capacity without strongly shifting a product toward high acidity or alkalinity, making it useful in multi-ingredient systems where balance is critical.
It is often paired with other organic acid salts.
E351 Potassium malate improves formulation balance and pH control.
In nutritional biochemistry applications, E351 Potassium malate is directly involved in energy metabolism pathways (Krebs cycle), so potassium malate is sometimes selected in supplement design for its perceived metabolic compatibility and gentle digestive tolerance compared to harsher mineral salts.
This makes it suitable for sensitive formulations.
E351 Potassium malate improves metabolic compatibility and supplement tolerability.
E351 Potassium malate is used to stabilize active ingredients that are sensitive to pH fluctuations, helping maintain consistent drug performance over shelf life while also improving taste masking in oral solutions.
It is especially useful in pediatric and syrup formulations.
E351 Potassium malate improves drug stability and patient compliance.
E351 Potassium malate is used to adjust pH in mild formulations such as hydrating gels or exfoliating systems, where controlled acidity is important for ingredient performance without irritating the skin.
It helps maintain a skin-compatible pH range.
E351 Potassium malate improves cosmetic safety and formulation control.
E351 Potassium malate is used in systems requiring stable ionic balance, because potassium ions help regulate conductivity and osmotic behavior in aqueous mixtures, which can affect texture and flow properties.
This is relevant in large-scale liquid production.
E351 Potassium malate improves process stability and physical consistency.
InChI: InChI=1S/C4H6O5.K.H/c5-2(4(8)9)1-3(6)7;;/h2,5H,1H2,(H,6,7)(H,8,9);;
InChIKey: ICMLVVHDCJCHLC-UHFFFAOYSA-N
SMILES: C(O)(C(=O)O)CC(=O)O.[KH]
LogP: -1.261 (est)
E351 Potassium malate is widely used in beverage formulation systems, where it helps create a smoother, less sharp acidic taste compared to stronger acids like citric acid, making it especially useful in fruit juices, flavored waters, and sports drinks where taste balance is important.
Its buffering properties also help maintain consistent pH during storage and distribution.
E351 Potassium malate improves beverage taste quality and stability.
E351 Potassium malate plays a role in maintaining natural fruit acidity profiles while preventing excessive sourness, which helps preserve a more natural flavor perception in processed apple, pear, or berry products.
It supports the natural acid balance of fruit-derived foods.
E351 Potassium malate improves sensory authenticity and product consistency.
In electrolyte and sports nutrition products, it is used not only for acidity regulation but also as a source of potassium, which is important for muscle function, hydration balance, and nerve signaling in the human body.
E351 Potassium malate makes it relevant in functional beverage design.
This improves nutritional functionality and hydration support.
E351 Potassium malate is used as a buffering and stabilizing agent in liquid medicines, helping maintain pH conditions that protect active ingredients from degradation and ensure consistent drug performance.
It is especially useful in oral liquid formulations.
E351 Potassium malate improves drug stability and formulation reliability.
E351 Potassium malate is used to stabilize pH in formulations such as gels, lotions, and creams, helping maintain ingredient effectiveness and ensuring that preservatives work within their optimal pH range.
It also helps reduce irritation by avoiding extreme acidity shifts.
E351 Potassium malate improves product stability and skin compatibility.
E351 Potassium malate is used as a mild buffering agent that helps maintain stable pH in detergent systems, improving cleaning performance under varying water conditions.
It supports consistent formulation behavior in different environments.
E351 Potassium malate improves cleaning efficiency and product reliability.
E351 Potassium malate is used to study how malate-based salts influence acidity perception, buffering behavior, and mineral interactions, helping improve design of balanced acidic systems in processed foods.
It is especially useful in taste optimization research.
E351 Potassium malate improves formulation precision and sensory design.
E351 Potassium malate is a key intermediate in the Krebs cycle, meaning potassium malate is often considered metabolically compatible and is studied in relation to energy metabolism and organic acid transport in biological systems.
This links food chemistry to human physiology.
E351 Potassium malate improves biochemical relevance and nutritional science understanding.
E351 Potassium malate is considered biodegradable and derived from naturally occurring organic acids, making it suitable for more sustainable formulation strategies compared to synthetic buffering agents.
This supports environmentally friendly product development.
E351 Potassium malate improves sustainability and environmental compatibility.
E351 Potassium malate is used to stabilize pH in large-scale production where consistent acidity is needed across batches, helping reduce variability caused by raw material differences or processing conditions.
This improves manufacturing consistency and quality control.
E351 Potassium malate can indirectly support stability by maintaining pH conditions that slow down microbial growth and reduce enzymatic degradation, especially in combination with other preservatives.
It is not a preservative itself but supports preservation systems.
E351 Potassium malate improves shelf-life extension and stability support.
E351 Potassium malate is considered biodegradable and part of naturally occurring organic acid cycles, making it compatible with greener formulation strategies compared to synthetic buffering agents.
It breaks down into naturally metabolized components.
This improves environmental sustainability and biodegradability.
In quality control and production scaling, E351 Potassium malate is used because its high water solubility allows uniform distribution in large batches, ensuring consistent acidity and flavor across industrial-scale production runs.
This reduces batch-to-batch variability.
E351 Potassium malate improves manufacturing consistency and product reliability.
Uses:
E351 Potassium malate is mainly used as an acidity regulator, buffering agent, flavor modifier, and potassium source because it helps control pH, smooth acidity, and improve nutritional balance.
In food and beverages, it is used to regulate acidity and improve taste smoothness.
E351 Potassium malate improves flavor quality and balance.
In fruit-based products, it is used to maintain natural acidity profiles.
E351 Potassium malate improves sensory authenticity and consistency.
In sports and electrolyte drinks, it is used as a potassium source.
E351 Potassium malate improves hydration and nutritional function.
In pharmaceuticals, it is used as a buffering agent in liquid formulations.
This improves drug stability and performance.
E351 Potassium malate is used to stabilize pH and protect ingredients.
This improves product shelf life and compatibility.
E351 Potassium malate is mainly used as an acidity regulator, buffering agent, flavor modifier, and potassium source because it helps control pH, smooth acidity, and improve nutritional balance in formulated products.
In food and beverages, it is used to regulate acidity and improve flavor smoothness.
E351 Potassium malate improves taste quality and balance.
In fruit-based products, it is used to maintain natural acidity profiles.
E351 Potassium malate improves sensory authenticity and consistency.
In sports and electrolyte drinks, it is used as a potassium source.
This improves hydration and mineral balance.
E351 Potassium malate is used as a buffering agent in liquid formulations.
This improves stability and drug performance.
In cosmetics, it is used to stabilize pH and support ingredient performance.
This improves product compatibility and safety.
E351 Potassium malate is mainly used as an acidity regulator, buffering agent, flavor modifier, and potassium source because it helps control pH, smooth acidic taste, and improve mineral balance in food and related formulations.
In food and beverages, it is used to adjust acidity while creating a smoother, less sharp sour taste compared to stronger acids, which helps improve overall flavor balance in fruit-based drinks, flavored waters, and soft beverages.
This improves taste quality and sensory smoothness.
In fruit juice and fruit-based products, it is used to maintain a natural fruit acidity profile while preventing excessive sourness, helping preserve a more authentic apple- or berry-like taste after processing.
E351 Potassium malate improves flavor authenticity and product consistency.
In sports and electrolyte drinks, it is used as a potassium source that supports hydration, muscle function, and electrolyte balance, making it useful in functional beverages designed for physical activity and recovery.
E351 Potassium malate improves nutritional function and performance support.
E351 Potassium malate is used as a buffering agent to maintain stable pH conditions, helping protect active ingredients from degradation and ensuring consistent drug performance over shelf life.
This improves stability and formulation reliability.
In cosmetic and personal care products, it is used to stabilize pH in gels, creams, and lotions, helping maintain ingredient effectiveness and reducing the risk of irritation caused by pH fluctuations.
E351 Potassium malate improves product stability and skin compatibility.
In industrial food processing systems, it is used to stabilize acid–mineral balance in complex formulations, helping maintain consistent product quality during large-scale manufacturing.
E351 Potassium malate improves process control and batch consistency.
Safety Profile:
E351 Potassium malate is generally considered a low hazard substance, because it is based on malic acid and potassium, both of which are naturally occurring and biologically relevant, although concentrated exposure can still cause mild irritation.
The main hazard is mild irritation of skin, eyes, and respiratory system, especially from dust or concentrated solutions.
Protective equipment is recommended.
E351 Potassium malate improves workplace safety.
Skin contact is usually low risk, though prolonged exposure may cause slight dryness or irritation.
Washing with water is sufficient.
Eye contact may cause moderate irritation, especially from powder exposure.
Eye protection is recommended.
Inhalation of dust may cause temporary respiratory irritation, particularly in poorly ventilated environments.
Dust control measures are recommended.
E351 Potassium malate is not flammable and is stable under normal storage conditions.
This improves handling safety.
From a toxicological perspective, potassium malate is considered safe within regulated limits due to its natural metabolic relevance and low toxicity profile.
However, industrial exposure should still be controlled.
This requires standard hygiene practices.
From an environmental perspective, it is low risk and biodegradable, since malate compounds are naturally metabolized in biological systems and do not persist in the environment.
E351 Potassium malate improves environmental compatibility and sustainability.
