The EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS) provides a scientific opinion reevaluating the safety of erythorbic acid (E 315) and sodium erythorbate (E 316) as food additives. The use of these food additives was evaluated by the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) that established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 6 mg/kg body weight (bw)/day. Intestinal absorption of erythorbate was reported from a mice study and near complete excretion within 24 h from a guinea pig study. The Panel noted that the acute toxicity of erythorbic acid or sodium erythorbate is low, there was no indication of adverse effects from the available subchronic toxicity studies, there is no concern with respect to their genotoxicity neither to respect to carcinogenicity. The Panel identified a no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of 650 mg/kg bw/day based on a decrease in body weight from a carcinogenicity study. No maternal and developmental effects were observed from a prenatal developmental toxicity study with sodium erythorbate. The Panel recognised the limitation of the overall toxicological database (no reproductive and chronic toxicity studies), but did not consider necessary to increase the usual uncertainty factor of 100 in deriving an ADI. Therefore, the Panel concluded that there is no reason to revise the current ADI of 6 mg/kg bw/day. Combined dietary exposure to erythorbic acid and sodium erythorbate from their use as food additives was calculated. Considering that the ADI is not exceeded by any population group, the Panel also concluded that the use of erythorbic acid (E 315) and sodium erythorbate (E 316) 1962, 1974 and 1990, and in its latest evaluation allocated an acceptable daily intake (ADI) 'not specified'. The Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) evaluated erythorbic acid and sodium erythorbate in 1987, 1990 and 1997, and an ADI of 6 mg/kg bw/day was confirmed in the latest evaluation.The absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) of erythorbates was considered to be similar to that of ascorbic acid. The sodium ion of sodium erythorbate is expected to enter the sodium pool of the body. Although rodents seemed to have less efficient erythorbate absorption than humans, the available study in mouse indicated that gastrointestinal absorption occurs (Tsao and Salimi, 1983). Guinea pig, a species more analogous to human due to its active-carrier mediated transport, has near complete excretion within 24 h.The Panel noted that erythorbic acid can increase iron bioavailability, which may represent a concern for individuals with iron deposition disorders.The Panel noted that the acute toxicity of erythorbic acid or sodium erythorbate is low. The Panel also noted that in the available subchronic toxicity studies there were some limitations mainly concerning reporting, however, none of them reported any adverse effects and there was no histopathological indication of any adverse effects even after 36 weeks of exposure up to 900 mg/kg body weight (bw)/day.The Panel consider...