Tartaric acid and tartrates (E334 to E337)
Needs verification
Tartaric acid and its salts sour food and lighten baking. Most commercial tartaric acid is recovered from the sediment winemaking leaves behind. It is not alcohol, and none remains in the additive, but scholars differ on a wine by-product: the Hanafi and Maliki positions accept it as transformed, the Shafi'i and Hanbali positions are more cautious. Synthetic and unfermented-grape routes also exist, and a label does not say which was used.
E334 — Tartaric acid
A sharp fruit acid, best known from grapes.
Why it needs verification. This is the acid itself, the one the other three are built from, so the source question above applies to it directly.
Where you meet it. Baking powder, boiled sweets, fizzy drinks, jams, wine gums.
E335 — Sodium tartrate
The sodium salt of tartaric acid, used to steady acidity.
Why it needs verification. It is made from tartaric acid (E334), so it inherits that question exactly: usually recovered from wine sediment, sometimes synthetic, and the label does not distinguish them.
Where you meet it. Baking mixes, jellies, processed cheese, sweets.
E336 — Potassium tartrate (cream of tartar)
The white powder sold for stiffening egg whites and lightening cakes.
Why it needs verification. It is a salt of tartaric acid (E334) and carries the same open question about the wine sediment most tartaric acid is recovered from.
Where you meet it. Baking powder, meringue, icing, sherbet.
E337 — Sodium potassium tartrate
A double salt of tartaric acid, used as a stabiliser.
Why it needs verification. Built from tartaric acid (E334), so the same wine-sediment question applies and is equally undeclared.
Where you meet it. Processed cheese, jellies, baking mixes, sweets.
What to do in the shop
Look for a product that names the source, says plant-based or vegan, or carries a halal certificate. If nothing on the packet settles it, the manufacturer can tell you, and their answer is the only thing that turns E334 from a question into an answer.
Questions people ask
Is E334 halal?
E334 (Tartaric acid) — Needs verification. This is the acid itself, the one the other three are built from, so the source question above applies to it directly.
Is E335 halal?
E335 (Sodium tartrate) — Needs verification. It is made from tartaric acid (E334), so it inherits that question exactly: usually recovered from wine sediment, sometimes synthetic, and the label does not distinguish them.
Is E336 halal?
E336 (Potassium tartrate (cream of tartar)) — Needs verification. It is a salt of tartaric acid (E334) and carries the same open question about the wine sediment most tartaric acid is recovered from.
Is E337 halal?
E337 (Sodium potassium tartrate) — Needs verification. Built from tartaric acid (E334), so the same wine-sediment question applies and is equally undeclared.
Related additives
Check a product, not just a number
An additive's status describes the additive in general. What matters is the whole ingredient list on the packet in your hand.