E1001 - Choline salt

At a glance

• What it is: Salts of choline, a quaternary amine nutrient; assigned E1001 in the European Union.
• Why it’s used: To add a reliable source of choline to foods and drinks; the salt form improves stability and solubility.
• Where it shows up: Fortified beverages, breakfast cereals, nutrition bars, meal replacements, and infant formulas; also in dietary supplements.
• Safety: Authorized in the EU with purity specifications; most people tolerate normal amounts from foods. Very high intakes can cause side effects like a fishy body odor.
• Label clues: Look for “choline,” “choline bitartrate,” or “choline chloride” in the ingredient list, or a declared choline amount on the Nutrition Facts label.

Why is Choline salt added to food?

Manufacturers add choline salts to provide a defined dose of choline, which supports normal liver function, fat metabolism, and nervous system function. In the EU, E1001 “Choline salts” are an authorized food additive with specific identity and purity criteria, which helps ensure consistent quality when used in foods.¹ The EU’s food additive rules also control where and how E1001 can be used by listing permitted foods and conditions of use.²

What foods contain Choline salt?

You’ll most often see choline salts in fortified foods and beverages, nutrition bars, and meal-replacement products. Infant formulas are required by U.S. regulation to contain choline, so they typically include a choline ingredient to meet that requirement.³ In the U.S., choline has a Daily Value of 550 mg on the Nutrition Facts label, so some fortified foods and many dietary supplements list choline content to help consumers compare products.⁴

What can replace Choline salt?

• Food-first alternatives: Many people can meet their needs by eating choline-rich foods such as eggs, meat, poultry, fish, beans, and cruciferous vegetables. Diet changes can be used instead of fortification when appropriate.⁵
• Different choline sources: Some products use lipid-based sources such as lecithins (rich in phosphatidylcholine) rather than a crystalline choline salt.
• Formulation swaps: If a particular salt does not fit the taste or solubility needs of a product, formulators may choose a different choline salt (for example, bitartrate made from L-tartaric acid or citrate from citric acid) to deliver the same nutrient.

How is Choline salt made?

Choline salts are produced by combining choline with an acid to form a stable ionic compound (a “salt”), then drying and milling to the desired particle size. Only forms that meet the EU’s composition and purity specifications for E1001 may be sold as the food additive “Choline salts.”¹ Common examples seen on labels include choline bitartrate (from L-tartaric acid) and choline chloride.

Is Choline salt safe to eat?

When used as authorized and within good manufacturing practice, E1001 is permitted in the European Union and must comply with strict specifications and use conditions.² For most healthy people, choline from foods, fortification, and supplements is well tolerated in moderate amounts. Very high intakes can cause side effects such as a fishy body odor, sweating, and gastrointestinal upset; consumers should follow labeled serving directions and speak with a health professional if unsure about their intake.⁵

Does Choline salt have any benefits?

Yes. Choline is an essential nutrient. The body uses it to:

• Build and maintain cell membranes (as phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin).
• Produce acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter important for memory and muscle control.
• Support one‑carbon metabolism and methylation, which interacts with folate and vitamin B12 pathways.⁵

Who should avoid Choline salt?

• People sensitive to choline: High doses may cause a fishy body odor, nausea, sweating, or low blood pressure; those who have experienced these effects should avoid large supplemental amounts.⁵
• Medical conditions: Individuals with liver or kidney disease, or those advised to limit certain nutrients, should seek medical guidance before using choline-fortified foods or supplements.
• Infants: Use only products formulated and regulated for infants; do not add separate choline supplements to infant diets unless directed by a pediatrician.³

Myths & facts

• Myth: “Choline salts are artificial chemicals with no nutritional role.” Fact: Choline is an essential nutrient; salts are just a stable way to deliver it in foods.
• Myth: “If you eat eggs, added choline is always unnecessary.” Fact: Needs vary by age, sex, and life stage; fortification helps some people meet recommended intakes.
• Myth: “All forms of choline are exactly the same.” Fact: Different salts vary in taste, solubility, and molecular weight, but they all supply choline.

Choline salt in branded foods

You can find choline salts on ingredient lists for fortified drinks, ready-to-eat cereals, nutrition bars, and infant formulas. On U.S. labels, choline content may appear in the Nutrition Facts “Additional nutrients” section; on EU labels, the ingredient name (for example, “choline bitartrate”) typically appears in the ingredients list. If you want to compare products, look for:

• The specific choline form named in the ingredients.
• The amount of choline per serving (when declared).
• The product’s intended use (general population vs. infant formula).

References

Footnotes

1. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 laying down specifications for food additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/231/oj ↩ ↩²

2. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives (Annex II) — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2008/1333/oj ↩ ↩²

3. 21 CFR 107.100 Nutrient requirements for infant formulas — eCFR (U.S. FDA). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-107/subpart-E/section-107.100 ↩ ↩²

4. Food Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels (Daily Values) — Federal Register, 81 FR 33742. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/05/27/2016-11867/food-labeling-revision-of-the-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels ↩

5. Choline Fact Sheet for Health Professionals — NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴