Potassium bicarbonate (also known as potassium hydrogen carbonate or potassium acid carbonate) is a colorless, odorless, slightly basic, salty substance. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), potassium bicarbonate is "generally recognized as safe". There is no evidence of human carcinogenicity, no adverse effects of overexposure, and an undetermined LD50. It is among the food additives encoded by European Union, identified by the initials E 501.