E297 - Fumaric acid

E297 SMOKE ACID

Fumaric acid is a natural acid found in nature in many fruits and in many vegetables. It was first isolated from the roots of the wild herbaceous plant Fumaria officinalis (Fumariaceae), hence the name fumaric acid.

The commercial product, used by the food industry, is obtained through the fermentation of sugars (via fermentation) carried out by fungi, or through chemical synthesis (synthetic route). In the synthetic way, fumaric acid is mainly produced by isomerization of maleic acid, using urea as a catalyst.

Fumaric acid is a preservative used as a regulator of acidity and stabilizer of many foods. In addition to being a preservative, it is also used in medicine for the treatment of psoriasis, one of the most common chronic forms of skin disease. Fumaric acid is usually administered in doses of 60-105 mg per day, which can also be increased.

Among the side effects, if used as a medicine, there may be gastrointestinal and kidney disorders, or redness of the skin. In all other cases, therefore if consumed in normal quantities, it does not appear to produce harmful side effects.

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