Potassium chloride in food: ingestion safety
Low risk(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Potassium chloride is the most widely used potash fertilizer (60% K2O) and an essential dietary mineral. Oral LD50 rat approximately 2500 mg/kg. Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as a food additive by FDA. GI irritant in concentrated form — nausea, vomiting, diarrhea from large oral doses. Hyperkalemia risk with rapid IV administration or renal impairment (cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest). Used medically as oral supplement (Slow-K, Klor-Con) and IV fluid additive.
What is potassium chloride?
Also known as: KCl, Muriate of potash, MOP, Potash.
- CAS number
- 7447-40-7
- Molecular formula
- ClK
- Molecular weight
- 74.55 g/mol
- SMILES
- [Cl-].[K+]
- PubChem CID
- 4873
Risk for people
Low riskPotassium chloride is the most widely used potash fertilizer (60% K2O) and an essential dietary mineral. Oral LD50 rat approximately 2500 mg/kg. Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as a food additive by FDA. GI irritant in concentrated form — nausea, vomiting, diarrhea from large oral doses. Hyperkalemia risk with rapid IV administration or renal impairment (cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest). Used medically as oral supplement (Slow-K, Klor-Con) and IV fluid additive.
Regulatory consensus
2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Potassium chloride. The classifications differ — that's the data.
| Agency | Year | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDA | 1985 | GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) as food additive | |
| ECHA | 2008 | Not classified as hazardous under CLP |
Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.
Where you encounter potassium chloride
- Agriculture
- Food
- Medicine
- Industrial
Safer alternatives
Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Potassium chloride:
-
Potassium sulfate (K2SO4)
Trade-offs: Lower chloride content. Higher cost per unit K. Preferred for tobacco, potatoes, fruits.Relative cost: 2-3x KCl
Frequently asked questions
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See Potassium chloride in the food app
Look up products containing potassium chloride, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.
Open in food View raw API dataSources (1)
- IOM Dietary Reference Intakes — Potassium — reference
Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →