Potassium magnesium trichloride hexahydrate: authorised novel food in the EU

Conditions of use and maximum levels

Table 1, column "Conditions under which the novel food may be used", as written:

• Raw cured (or seasoned) meat: 1 050 mg/100 g
• Cooked cured (or seasoned) meat: 700 mg/100 g
• Cereal-based dishes: 600 mg/100 g
• Preserved or partly preserved sausages: 1 050 mg/100 g

Additional specific labelling requirements

1. The designation of the novel food on the labelling of the foodstuffs containing it shall be ‘potassium magnesium mineral salt’. 2. Where the addition of the novel food to a final product result in an amount of potassium and/or magnesium that is considered significant in accordance with Point 2 of Part A of Annex XIII to Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, the nutrition declaration shall contain the amount of potassium and/or magnesium.

Specification (Table 2)

Table 2 of the Annex, row with the same name, as written:

Description / Definition:

The novel food is a mineral salt, which mainly consists of potassium magnesium trichloride hexahydrate. It is a white, off-white crystalline, fine granular, slightly hygroscopic product with a characteristic saline taste. It is produced by a multi-step crystallisation process of seawater from the Dead Sea by solar evaporation.

Synonym:

Potassium magnesium chloride hydrate, carnallite.

Identity:

Positive by X-ray diffraction

Characteristics:

Melting point (range): 149,6 - 160,2 °C

Solubility:

- pH 1,94: 4,13 and 6,80: freely soluble

- pH 8,06: slightly soluble

- Insoluble parts: ≤ 0,3 % (w/w)

Water at 180 °C (water of crystallisation plus moisture): 32 %-40 %

Main constituents:

Chloride: 40 % - 42 % (w/w)

Potassium: 11,0 % - 13,6 % (w/w)

Magnesium: 7,9 % - 8,9 % (w/w)

Calcium: ≤ 0,2 % (w/w)

Sodium: ≤ 2,75 % (w/w)

Heavy metals:

Arsenic < 0,1 mg/kg

Cadmium < 0,1 mg/kg

Mercury < 0,05 mg/kg

Lead < 0,1 mg/kg

Trace elements:

Bromide: ≤ 0,40 % (w/w)

Strontium: ≤ 25 mg/kg

Manganese: ≤ 3,0 mg/kg

Iron: ≤ 4,0 mg/kg

Copper: ≤ 0,5 mg/kg

Boron: ≤ 10 mg/kg

Aluminium: ≤ 1,0 mg/kg

Total phosphorous: ≤ 5 mg/kg

Sulfate: < 500 mg/kg

Nitrite: < 10 mg/kg

Nitrate: < 400 mg/kg

Chlorate: < 0,2 mg/kg

Bromate: < 1 mg/kg

Fluoride: ≤ 5 mg/kg

Iodine: < 0,1 mg/kg

Microbiological parameters:

Total plate count: < 100 CFU/g

E. coli: not detected in 1 g

Salmonella: not detected in 25 g

Salt-tolerant microorganisms: < 100 CFU/g

Sum parameters:

Total organic carbon: < 0,10 % (w/w)

CFU: colony forming units

Source and version

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470, Annex, Union list of novel foods, Table 1. Consolidated text of 10 August 2026. The text above is copied from that document without change except that amendment markers are removed. It is not advice and it does not decide whether a particular product is covered.

• Consolidated text on EUR-Lex

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