Amendment to the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act and the 
Specifications and Standards for Foods, Food Additives, Etc. 
 
The government of Japan will designate Potassium hydrogen carbonate as an 
authorized food additive and establish compositional specifications and use 
standards for this additive. 
 
Background 
Japan prohibits the sale of food additives that are not designated by the Minister of 
Health, Labour and Welfare (hereinafter referred to as “the Minister”) under Article 
12 of the Food Sanitation Act (Act No. 233 of 1947; hereinafter referred to as “the 
Act”). In addition, when specifications or standards for food additives are stipulated 
in the Specifications and Standards for Foods Food Additives, Etc. (Public Notice of 
the Ministry of Health and Welfare No. 370, 1959), Japan prohibits the sale of those 
additives unless they meet the specifications or the standards pursuant to Article 13 
of the Act. 
 
In response to a request from the Minister, the Committee on Food Additives of the 
Food Sanitation Council under the Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation 
Council (hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”) has discussed the adequacy of 
the designation of Potassium hydrogen carbonate as a food additive. The conclusion 
of the Committee is outlined below. 
 
Outline of conclusion 
The Minister should designate Potassium hydrogen carbonate as a food additive 
unlikely to cause harm to human health pursuant to Article 12 of the Act and should 
establish compositional specifications and use standards for this additive pursuant 
to Article 13 of the Act (see Attachment for the details). 
  Attachment Potassium Hydrogen Carbonate 
炭酸水素カリウム 
 
Standards for Use (draft) 
Permitted for use in grape juice used for wine production and in grape wine only. 
 
Compositional Specifications (draft) 
Substance Name  Potassium Hydrogen Carbonate (Potassium Bicarbonate, Potassium 
Acid Carbonate) 
Molecular Formula  KHCO3 
Molecular Weight  100.12 
Chemical Name [CAS number] 
Potassium hydrogen carbonate [298-14-6] 
Content  Potassium Hydrogen Carbonate, when dried, contains not less than 99.0% of 
potassium hydrogen carbonate (KHCO3). 
Description  Potassium Hydrogen Carbonate occurs as colorless crystals, or as white 
granules or powder. 
Identification  Potassium Hydrogen Carbonate responds to all the tests for Potassium 
Salt and for Bicarbonate in the Qualitative Tests. 
Purity 
(1) Clarity of solution  Almost clear (1.0 g, water 10 mL). 
(2) Lead  Not more than 2 μg/g as Pb (2.0 g, Method 5, Control Solution: Lead 
Standard Solution 4.0 mL, Flame Method). 
Sample Solution  To the specified amount of Potassium Hydrogen Carbonate, add 20 
mL of diluted hydrochloric acid (1 in 4), and boil gently for 5 minutes with a watch glass 
covering it. Allow to cool, and use the solution as the sample solution. If the sample does 
not dissolve completely, evaporate it to dryness, and add 20 mL of diluted hydrochloric 
acid (1 in 4) to the residue. Boil gently for 5 minutes, and allow to cool. 
(3) Arsenic  Not more than 3 μg/g as As (0.50 g, Standard Color: Arsenic Standard 
Solution 3.0 mL, Apparatus B). 
Test Solution  Weigh the specified amount of Potassium Hydrogen Carbonate, and 
dissolve it by adding 3 mL of water and 2 mL of hydrochloric acid. Loss on Drying  Not more than 0.25% (4 hours). 
Assay  Weigh accurately about 2 g of Potassium Hydrogen Carbonate, previously dried, 
dissolve it in 25 mL of water, and titrate with 0.5 mol/L sulfuric acid (indicator: 3 drops 
of bromophenol blue TS). Boil near the endpoint to let the carbon dioxide out, cool, and 
continue the titration. The endpoint is when the color of the solution changes from blue-
purple to bluish-green. 
Each mL of 0.5 mol/L sulfuric acid = 100.1 mg of KHCO3