The Vegetarian Resource Group Blog

Yellow Prussiate of Soda

Posted on July 07, 2020 by The VRG Blog Editor

We have added this new posting to our ingredient guide. For informaton about other ingredients, see https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

Yellow Prussiate of Soda

Also known as: YPS, sodium ferrocyanide decahydrate, sodium ferrocyanide, tetrasodium hexacyanoferrate, sodium hexacyanoferrate(II), E535, E-535 or 535

Commercial source: mineral

Used in: table salt, sea salt, salt substitutes, water conditioners, animal feed, deicing products

Used as: anti-caking agent or free-flow agent

Definition: Industrially produced starting with extremely poisonous hydrogen cyanide, yellow prussiate of soda is used in salt and salt substitutes to keep them free-flowing. Because YPS is used in such small amounts in food, companies aren’t required by FDA to label it. YPS is also used in petroleum refining, welding, and deicing roads among many other applications.

Note: Related chemicals which could be found in salt and salt substitutes include potassium ferrocyanide (E536) and calcium ferrocyanide (E538).

Manufacturer Information:

Morton® Salt: “YPS is…ultimately derived from minerals…”

Davis Wholesale Supply® (for Cargill®): “[Cargill Salt] has not been produced from animal (including fish), dairy, or egg products and these products have not been added by Cargill to the Cargill ingredients.”

American Elements®: “As far as I know, none of our materials are animal- or dairy-based/derived.”

More Information:

List of FDA-approved anti-caking agents

Information on Anti-Caking Agents

Scientific Information on YPS

Category: Vegan

Entry Added: June 2020

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

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