What E173 actually is
E173 is the silver on cake decorations and sugar-coated confectionery. It is applied to the surface rather than mixed into the food, which is why permission for it is written as a coating use. The metallic silver dragées on a celebration cake are the most familiar example.
What it is made from
Refined metallic aluminium, produced from bauxite ore. It is a mineral product with no plant or animal origin.
Vegan, vegetarian, and halal status
Aluminium is mineral-derived and suits every dietary requirement. The reason to pay attention here is intake, not diet.
Is E173 safe?
Aluminium is the additive where cumulative intake genuinely matters, because it comes from many sources at once. EFSA set a tolerable weekly intake of 1 mg per kg of body weight per week in 2008 and noted that a meaningful share of the European population already exceeds it from food overall, not from decorations. Aluminium also enters the diet through raising agents, anti-caking agents, and naturally from some plants. E173's own contribution is very small because it is a surface decoration used in tiny amounts, and EU rules restrict it to the external coating of confectionery and cake decoration. Long-standing questions about aluminium and neurological disease have not been established as causal.
- EFSA tolerable weekly intake of 1 mg per kg of body weight, which part of the population exceeds from total dietary aluminium
- Restricted in the EU to external decoration of confectionery and cake decoration only
- The main dietary aluminium sources are raising and anti-caking agents rather than E173
- Proposed links to neurological disease have not been established as causal
Where regulators stand
- EFSA (EU)
- Tolerable weekly intake of 1 mg per kg of body weight. Use restricted to external decoration of confectionery and cake decoration.
- FDA (US)
- Aluminium-containing colour additives are regulated separately, with metallic aluminium not permitted as a general food colour.
Foods it turns up in
- Silver cake decorations and dragées
- Sugar-coated confectionery
- Decorative coatings on celebration bakery
Names it hides behind
- E173
- Aluminium
- Aluminum
- Colour (E173)
- Silver decoration
Common questions
- Is it safe to eat silver cake decorations?
- The amounts are very small and use is restricted to external decoration. The wider aluminium concern is about total dietary intake from raising and anti-caking agents, not from decorations.
- Is E173 vegan and halal?
- Yes. It is a refined mineral with no plant or animal origin.
- Does aluminium cause Alzheimer's?
- A link has been proposed for decades and has not been established as causal. Regulators set the intake limit on other grounds.
- Where does most dietary aluminium come from?
- Raising agents, anti-caking agents, some naturally aluminium-rich plants, and cookware. E173 is a very small contributor.
- Is E173 the same as silver leaf?
- No. Silver leaf is E174 and is actual silver. E173 is aluminium giving a silver appearance.
Checking a real pack
This page answers the code. The pack in your hand is what decides, because the same code can come from different sources depending on the manufacturer. LabelWise, formerly SafeChoice, scans the label and explains what is in front of you.
Related
LabelWise content is educational and describes how additives are made, regulated, and labelled. It is not medical, dietary, or religious advice. For certification questions, the mark on the pack and the certifying body are the authority.