INS 326 is potassium lactate, the potassium salt of lactic acid (the same acid that makes yogurt sour). On packaged-food packs it shows up most often in vacuum-packed processed meats (chicken sausage, ham, salami, cured cuts) and packaged seafood, where it acts as a preservative and acidity regulator. It is often paired with sodium lactate in meat applications. Veg status depends on the source the manufacturer uses and is permitted by FSSAI for specified food categories.
INS 326 is potassium lactate, the potassium salt of lactic acid (the same acid that makes yogurt sour). On packaged-food packs it shows up most often in vacuum-packed processed meats (chicken sausage, ham, salami, cured cuts) and packaged seafood, where it acts as a preservative and acidity regulator. It is often paired with sodium lactate in meat applications.
Brands use it because it does several jobs at once: it lowers water activity which slows microbial growth (preserving meat without strong vinegar or salt taste), it buffers acidity to a comfortable range, and it carries a mild salty note that fits cured-meat profiles without raising sodium too high. The potassium salt form is favoured in low-sodium reformulations of processed meat where sodium reduction is the brand's goal.
INS 326 commonly shows up on Indian packets in these categories:
Potassium lactate is made by neutralising lactic acid with potassium hydroxide. The lactic acid itself is produced by Lactobacillus fermentation of a sugar substrate. In India the substrate is most often plant-derived (corn syrup, sugar, or molasses), but whey-based fermentation (using a dairy by-product as substrate) also exists. The salt-form INS number alone does not say which substrate was used. The Indian veg/non-veg dot on the pack is the brand's declaration; if a product is dairy-free and vegan-labelled, the potassium lactate in it is from a vegan substrate.
FSSAI: Permitted by FSSAI as a preservative and acidity regulator under Schedule I of the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 for specified food categories (primarily processed meats, seafood, and dairy) with category-specific upper limits. Note: the D(-) and DL forms of lactic acid (and their salts) are not permitted for use in foods specifically formulated for infants under three months, because infants can have difficulty metabolising the D-isomer. Commercial food-grade potassium lactate is typically the L-(+) form.
JECFA: ADI 'not limited' for potassium lactate, established at the 18th JECFA (1974), based on the toxicology monograph for lactic acid and its ammonium, calcium, potassium, and sodium salts prepared at the 17th JECFA (1973). 'Not limited' is JECFA's classification at typical use levels: lactic acid and its salts are normal intermediates in human carbohydrate metabolism. The 1973 evaluation included a restriction that D(-)-lactic acid and DL-lactic acid (and their salts) should not be used in infant foods.
On packets, in recipes, and in conversation, INS 326 is also called:
Last verified: 2026-05-12.
This page covers INS 326 one additive at a time. To check a full packet's ingredient list against the same FSSAI / JECFA / EFSA-cited dataset, use the Indian Food Ingredient Checker - paste the whole list and get a per-item verdict plus a composite tone (clear / watch / flag / incomplete).