Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 26, 2026

Iron(II) lactate

Ferrous lactate, or iron(II) lactate, are coordination complexes of iron(II) with one or more lactate ligands. One example is Fe(lactate)2(H2O)2(H2O) where lactate is CH3CH(OH)CO−2. It is a colorless solid.

Last revised
Jun 26, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
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Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
Iron(II) lactate
source ↗
Names
IUPAC name
Ferrous 2-hydroxypropanoate
Other names
  • Iron dilactate
  • Iron(II) lactate
  • E585
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.025.098
E number E585 (acidity regulators, ...)
UNII
  • InChI=1/2C3H6O3.Fe/c2*1-2(4)3(5)6;/h2*2,4H,1H3,(H,5,6);/q;;+2/p-2
    Key: DKKCQDROTDCQOR-NUQVWONBAL
  • [Fe+2].[O-]C(=O)C(O)C.[O-]C(=O)C(O)C
Properties
C6H10FeO6
Molar mass 233.9888 g/mol (anhydrous)
288.03464 g/mol (trihydrate)
Appearance greenish-white powder
Melting point 500 °C (932 °F; 773 K)
trihydrate:
2.1 g/100ml (10 °C)
8.5 g/100ml (100 °C)
dihydrate:
2% (25 °C)1
Solubility soluble in alkali citrates
negligible in alcohol
insoluble in ether
Hazards
GHS labelling:2
GHS07: Exclamation mark
Warning
H302, H315, H319, H335
P261, P264, P264+P265, P270, P271, P280, P301+P317, P302+P352, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P319, P321, P330, P332+P317, P337+P317, P362+P364, P403+P233, P405, P501
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

Ferrous lactate, or iron(II) lactate, are coordination complexes of iron(II) with one or more lactate ligands. One example is [Fe(lactate)2(H2O)2](H2O), where lactate is CH3CH(OH)CO−2.3 It is a colorless solid.

Production

Iron(II) lactate can be produced through several reactions, among which are calcium lactate with iron(II) sulfate according to the following reaction:4

Ca(C3H5O3)2(aq) + FeSO4(aq) → CaSO4↓ + Fe(C3H5O3)2(aq)

Another route yielding iron(II) lactate is to combine lactic acid with calcium carbonate and iron(II) sulfate.

Uses

Iron(II) lactate is used as a reagent in the production of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), specifically in the production of cathode catalytic converters used in these cells. It is an acidity regulator, and, since it oxidizes on contact with air, it has found use as a color retention agent for foodstuffs such as olives. It is also used as a remedy for iron-deficiency anemia, both to fortify foods with iron5 and as a nutritional supplement in tablet or pill form. As a food additive it is coded under the E number E5856.

References

References

  1. Iron(II) lactate dihydrate MSDS Archived 2014-05-03 at the Wayback Machine at Jost Chemical
  2. PubChem. "Ferrous Lactate". pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  3. Ping, Liu; Mao-Chun, Hong (1992). "Fe(CH3CH(OH)CO2)2(H2O)2(H2O)". Jiegou Huaxue (Chin.J.Struct.Chem.). 11: 44.
  4. CN104876816A, 刘平祥 & 林家燕, "Synthetic method of ferrous lactate", published 2015-09-02 
  5. Hurrell, Richard F. (2009-04-27). "Preventing Iron Deficiency Through Food Fortification". Nutrition Reviews. 55 (6): 210–222. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.1997.tb01608.x.
  6. "Approved additives and E numbers". Food Standards Agency. Archived from the original on 2022-04-22. Retrieved 2026-06-26.