E240 - Formaldehyde

At a glance

A quick overview helps put this additive in context.

• What it is: A colorless gas with a sharp smell; also called methanal.
• Status: Not used as a direct food additive in the EU Union list; in the U.S., it is regulated for certain food-contact materials rather than as an ingredient.
• Where it shows up: Occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish; can migrate in tiny amounts from some plastics and resins used in food packaging or tableware.
• Label names: “Formaldehyde” or “E240,” though you should not see it on modern ingredient lists in the EU and U.S.
• Typical role: Historically a preservative; today replaced by other approved preservatives and by modern hygiene and cold-chain control.
• Safety note: Recognized as a human carcinogen mainly by inhalation; dietary levels from natural presence and regulated migration are generally very low.

Why is Formaldehyde added to food?

The short answer is that it generally isn’t added anymore. In the European Union, formaldehyde does not appear on the Union list of approved food additives, which means it cannot be used as one under that framework.¹ In the United States, formaldehyde is managed mainly as a component of certain food-contact materials (for example, resins), not as a direct ingredient in foods.²

What foods contain Formaldehyde?

Many everyday foods naturally contain small amounts of formaldehyde, including fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish.³ Small amounts can also migrate into food from items made with formaldehyde-based plastics or resins, such as some melamine-formaldehyde tableware or acetal (POM) parts; in the EU, this is controlled by a specific migration limit of 15 mg per kg of food.⁴

What can replace Formaldehyde?

Modern food makers rely on safer, approved preservatives and non-chemical controls. Common choices include:

• Organic acids and salts such as sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, benzoic acid, and sodium benzoate.
• Acidification with citric acid, often combined with heat treatment.
• Natural antimicrobials like nisin in specific foods.
• Product- and process-based controls such as refrigeration, hygienic handling, and packaging.
• For cured meats, approved nitrite systems like sodium nitrite under strict limits.

How is Formaldehyde made?

Most industrial formaldehyde is produced by catalytic oxidation or dehydrogenation of methanol. It is then used to make resins and plastics (such as urea-formaldehyde, melamine-formaldehyde, and phenol-formaldehyde), disinfectants, and many industrial products.³

Is Formaldehyde safe to eat?

Safety depends on exposure. Formaldehyde is listed by the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) as known to be a human carcinogen, with strongest evidence for risk via inhalation at higher exposures.⁵ Dietary exposure comes mostly from its natural presence in foods and from tightly regulated migration from food-contact materials; for example, the EU sets a migration limit of 15 mg/kg food to keep exposures low.⁴ In the U.S., certain formaldehyde-based resins are permitted for contact with food only under specified conditions in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).²

Does Formaldehyde have any benefits?

There is no nutritional benefit to formaldehyde. It is part of normal human biology, though: the body produces small amounts as a natural product of metabolism and rapidly converts it to formate and carbon dioxide.⁶ In the food system, the practical “benefit” today is indirect—formal­dehyde-based resins help make durable equipment and packaging, while migration into food is controlled by strict limits.⁴

Who should avoid Formaldehyde?

• People with known sensitivity to formaldehyde or related resins should be cautious with products that could release it, including some plastics or coated items.
• If you encounter an imported product listing “E240” or “formaldehyde” as an additive, it may not comply with EU or U.S. rules; choosing compliant alternatives is prudent.
• Anyone with specific medical guidance (for example, severe chemical sensitivities) should follow their clinician’s advice.

Myths & facts

• Myth: “Any formaldehyde in food is dangerous.” Fact: Formaldehyde occurs naturally in many foods; risk depends on dose and exposure route, and regulatory limits are set to protect consumers.
• Myth: “E240 is still used as a preservative in Europe.” Fact: Formaldehyde does not appear on the EU Union list of approved food additives.
• Myth: “Plastic dishes always leach formaldehyde.” Fact: Only certain resins can release it, and migration is regulated with strict limits to keep exposures very low.

Formaldehyde in branded foods

You should not see “formaldehyde” or “E240” on ingredient lists for foods sold in the EU or U.S. If a label claims “formaldehyde-free,” it usually means no formaldehyde was intentionally added; it does not change the fact that small amounts can occur naturally in some foods or may migrate within regulatory limits from certain approved food-contact materials.

References

Footnotes

1. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives — Union list framework. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2008/1333/oj ↩

2. 21 CFR 177.1900, Urea-formaldehyde resins in molded articles — U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-177/section-177.1900 ↩ ↩²

3. Toxicological Profile for Formaldehyde — Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), U.S. CDC. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp111.pdf ↩ ↩²

4. Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food — Annex I (Specific Migration Limit for formaldehyde). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/10/oj ↩ ↩² ↩³

5. Report on Carcinogens, Formaldehyde — National Toxicology Program (NTP), U.S. NIH. https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/whatwestudy/assessments/cancer/roc ↩

6. Formaldehyde (CID 712) — PubChem, U.S. NIH. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Formaldehyde ↩