E632 - Dipotassium inosinate

At a glance

• Name: Dipotassium inosinate; also listed as E632
• What it does: Flavor enhancer that amplifies savory (umami) taste
• Typical foods: Savory snacks, instant noodles, soups, bouillon, sauces, and spice blends
• Often used with: Umami boosters like monosodium glutamate and nucleotide salts such as disodium inosinate or disodium guanylate
• Appearance: White, water‑soluble powder or granules
• Regulation: Authorized as a food additive in the EU; appears by name on U.S. ingredient labels

Why is Dipotassium inosinate added to food?

It is added to intensify savory flavors. Inosinate salts are especially effective when used together with glutamates such as monosodium glutamate or with guanylate salts, creating a strong umami effect at very low doses.¹

What foods contain Dipotassium inosinate?

You’ll most often find E632 in:

• Instant noodles, ramen seasonings, and soup mixes
• Bouillon cubes and liquid broths
• Savory snacks like potato chips and corn snacks
• Ready sauces, gravies, and marinades
• Spice blends and seasoning powders

On labels, it may appear as “Dipotassium inosinate,” “E632,” or “flavor enhancer (E632).”

What can replace Dipotassium inosinate?

Possible alternatives depend on the recipe and labeling rules:

• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) for umami strength
• Other nucleotide enhancers: disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, or dipotassium guanylate
• Mixed nucleotides: disodium 5-ribonucleotide
• Umami-rich ingredients like yeast extracts, mushrooms, tomato concentrates, or aged cheeses (in products that permit them)

How is Dipotassium inosinate made?

Under EU specifications, E632 is defined as the dipotassium salt of inosine 5′‑monophosphate (IMP) and must meet strict purity criteria.² Commercial production typically neutralizes 5′‑inosinic acid with potassium to form the highly soluble dipotassium salt.²

Is Dipotassium inosinate safe to eat?

E632 is an authorized food additive in the European Union (E-number system) under the EU food additives framework.³ In the United States, ingredients like dipotassium inosinate must be declared by their common or usual name on the ingredient list so consumers can identify them.⁴

Does Dipotassium inosinate have any benefits?

Its benefit is culinary, not nutritional: it boosts savory taste so products can achieve a fuller flavor at low use levels. It works particularly well when combined with glutamates such as monosodium glutamate.¹

Who should avoid Dipotassium inosinate?

• People who choose to avoid flavor enhancers like MSG sometimes also avoid inosinate/guanylate additives, because they are often used together in savory snacks and seasonings.
• Those advised to follow a purine‑restricted diet (for example, due to gout or high uric acid) may prefer to limit added sources of purine nucleotides, including inosinate, after discussing with their healthcare provider.⁵

Myths & facts

• Myth: “E632 is the same as MSG.” Fact: They are different additives; inosinate salts are nucleotides, while MSG is a glutamate salt. They are often paired to strengthen umami.
• Myth: “It makes foods very salty.” Fact: E632 contributes savory taste, not saltiness, and is used at very low levels.
• Myth: “You can’t tell if it’s in your food.” Fact: In the U.S., it must be listed by its common or usual name on the ingredient list, and in the EU it may appear as E632.

Dipotassium inosinate in branded foods

Look for “Dipotassium inosinate,” “E632,” or “flavor enhancer (E632)” on ingredient lists. It frequently appears alongside monosodium glutamate, disodium inosinate, or disodium guanylate in savory snacks, noodles, broths, and seasonings. If you’re avoiding umami enhancers, scan the label for “inosinate,” “guanylate,” or the E-numbers E631–E635.

References

Footnotes

1. Questions and Answers on Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) — U.S. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/questions-and-answers-monosodium-glutamate-msg ↩ ↩²

2. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 — Specifications for food additives. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/231/oj ↩ ↩²

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

4. 21 CFR § 101.4 — Food; designation of ingredients. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/part-101/section-101.4 ↩

5. Purine-restricted diet — MedlinePlus (NIH). https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000520.htm ↩