E650 (Zinc Acetate) is a chemical compound, zinc salt of acetic acid.

It appears in the form of a white powder.

What it is used for and where

Food

Ingredient listed in European food additives as E650 as an acidity regulator. In the USA it is the only zinc salt approved by the FDA.

Cosmetics

It is a restricted ingredient as III/24 a Relevant Item in the Annexes of the European Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009.  Maximum concentration in the ready-to-use preparation 1%.

Antimicrobial agent. This ingredient is able to suppress or inhibit the growth and replication of a broad spectrum of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses by making the stratum corneum temporarily bactericidal and fungicidal.

Cosmetic astringent. This ingredient exerts a direct effect on the skin by tightening dilated pores by contracting stratum corneum cells and removing superfluous oil.

Oral care agent. This ingredient can be placed in the oral cavity to improve and/or maintain oral hygiene and health, to prevent or improve a disorder of the teeth, gums, mucous membrane.

Skin protectant. It creates a protective barrier on the skin to defend it from harmful substances, irritants, allergens, pathogens that can cause various inflammatory conditions. These products can also improve the natural skin barrier and in most cases more than one is needed to achieve an effective result.

Medical

Zinc acetate is used in the treatment of zinc maintenance therapy for Wilson's disease (1).

Other uses

Catalyst for polyurethane foams (2)

• Molecular Formula   C₄H₆O₄Zn
• Molecular Weight   183.5 g/mol
• CAS  557-34-6 anhydrous    5970-45-6 hydrate 
• UNII    H2ZEY72PME
• EC Number   209-170-2

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1) Camarata, M.A., Ala, A. and Schilsky, M.L., 2019. Zinc maintenance therapy for Wilson disease: a comparison between zinc acetate and alternative zinc preparations. Hepatology Communications, 3(8), pp.1151-1158.

(2) He, H., Su, H., Yu, H., Du, K., Yang, F., Zhu, Y., Ma, M., Shi, Y., Zhang, X., Chen, S. and Wang, X., 2023. Chemical Recycling of Waste Polyurethane Foams: Efficient Acidolysis under the Catalysis of Zinc Acetate. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.