Propyl p-hydroxybenzoate (propylparaben) is the preservative the food industry lists as E216. In our table it is high risk: it takes 30 points off the additive subscore, which is worth a third of a product's score (about 10 of the 100).
- The key finding, from EFSA: Propyl paraben excluded from the 0 to 10 mg/kg bw group ADI granted to methyl and ethyl p-hydroxybenzoates because, unlike them, it affected sex hormones and the male reproductive organs in juvenile rats, and no clear NOAEL could be identified, the finding that led directly to the withdrawal of E 216 and E 217 (10.2903/j.efsa.2004.83 (AFC Panel opinion on para hydroxybenzoates E214 to E219))
- No child flag. The class, and the points it costs, are the same for a child of any age.
- Where you meet it. None of the 10,000 packaged foods scanned most on Open Food Facts list it. Nine in ten of those foods are sold in Europe (counted 26 Sep 2026).
- 4 citations from EFSA, EU law, US state law and the FDA, each one below.
What propylparaben does to a score
A packaged food's additive subscore starts at 100 and loses points for each additive on the label; that subscore is a third of the final score. propylparaben takes 30 points off the additive subscore, which is worth a third of a product's score (about 10 of the 100). Scan the pack in Sito and the score you get is the one for your own child's age, with this additive named in the reasons. How we score has the whole method.
See what is in your own cupboard
Scan a packaged food and Sito names the additives in it, then scores the product out of 100 for your child's age.
What the sources found
Every classification in our table comes from the citations below, and nothing else. Each finding is our one-line summary of what the source concluded, with the source and reference beside it.
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EFSA
10.2903/j.efsa.2004.83 (AFC Panel opinion on para hydroxybenzoates E214–E219)
Propyl paraben excluded from the 0–10 mg/kg bw group ADI granted to methyl and ethyl p-hydroxybenzoates because, unlike them, it affected sex hormones and the male reproductive organs in juvenile rats, and no clear NOAEL could be identified — the finding that led directly to the withdrawal of E 216 and E 217. -
EU law
Directive 2006/52/EC of 5 July 2006 (OJ 26.7.2006), recital (6) and Annex I point (3)(a)(i); status re-checked against Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, consolidated text 02008R1333 — EN — 16.12.2024 — 059.001 (EUR-Lex), Annex II Part B 'List of all additives' and Annex III
Recital (6): 'EFSA considered that propyl paraben should not be included in this group ADI because propyl paraben, contrary to methyl and ethyl paraben, had effects on sex hormones and the male reproductive organs in juvenile rats.' Annex I(3)(a)(i): 'the rows for "E 216 Propyl p-hydroxybenzoate" and "E 217 Sodium propyl p-hydroxybenzoate" are deleted'. Neither 'E 216' nor 'E 217' appears anywhere in the current consolidated Union list, confirming the withdrawal is still in force. -
US state law
US-CA: AB 418, California Food Safety Act (2023), codified at Health and Safety Code §109025; US-WV: HB 2354 (signed 2025-03-24)
California Health and Safety Code §109025, added by AB 418 (Stats. 2023, ch. 328), bans propylparaben (CAS 94-13-3) in food products manufactured, sold, delivered, distributed, held or offered for sale in California from 2027-01-01, alongside Red 3, potassium bromate and BVO. WV HB 2354 deems food containing propylparaben (with BHA and seven dyes) adulterated: school nutrition programmes from 2025-08-01 (in force, not enjoined), all food from 2028-01-01 (preliminarily enjoined Dec 2025). -
FDA
21 CFR §184.1670 (propylparaben, GRAS)
GRAS in the US: 'The ingredient is used as an antimicrobial agent as defined in §170.3(o)(2) of this chapter' and 'current good manufacturing practice results in a maximum level of 0.1 percent in food.' Still lawful on the US shelf — no federal restriction.
Why this class
IARC Group 1 or 2A with a dietary exposure route; or EFSA has withdrawn or negated a safety conclusion; or EFSA’s own exposure assessment finds a child age group exceeding the ADI at mean intake; or the substance is banned or formally being phased out for food use by the EU, by the US FDA, or under a US state law.
Our confidence in this row's classification is high. Medium or low does not mean the evidence is weak; it means something about the row is still being pinned down, usually a regulatory status confirmed from one source rather than two.
Questions parents ask
Is propylparaben (E216) safe for kids?
High risk. In Sito it takes 30 points off the additive subscore, which is worth a third of a product's score (about 10 of the 100). The finding we rely on: Propyl paraben excluded from the 0 to 10 mg/kg bw group ADI granted to methyl and ethyl p-hydroxybenzoates because, unlike them, it affected sex hormones and the male reproductive organs in juvenile rats, and no clear NOAEL could be identified, the finding that led directly to the withdrawal of E 216 and E 217 (EFSA, 10.2903/j.efsa.2004.83 (AFC Panel opinion on para hydroxybenzoates E214 to E219)).
What is E216?
E216 is the E number for Propyl p-hydroxybenzoate, a preservative. It is also called propylparaben. Open Food Facts tags it en:e216.
Next to it on the label
The E numbers either side of E216 in our table, then the closest preservatives by number.
- Calcium benzoate (E213), high risk, flagged for young children
- ethylparaben (E214), low risk
- Sodium ethyl p-hydroxybenzoate (E215), low risk
- Sodium propyl p-hydroxybenzoate (E217), high risk
- methylparaben (E218), low risk
- Sodium methyl p-hydroxybenzoate (E219), low risk