# Choline Chloride

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**Safety rating:** SAFE
**CAS number:** 67-48-1
**Category:** nutrient
**FDA GRAS:** no
**Adverse events (FDA AERS):** 0
**FDA recalls:** 0
**Last updated:** 2026-04-04

## Summary

Choline chloride is a water-soluble compound containing choline, an essential nutrient required for normal cell function, neurological development, and liver health. It is used as a nutrient supplement in food and animal feed to meet dietary choline requirements.

## Regulatory status

| Country | Status |
| --- | --- |
| United States | approved |
| European Union | not_evaluated |
| United Kingdom | approved |
| Canada | approved |
| Australia | approved |
| Japan | approved |
| South Korea | approved |
| Brazil | approved |
| China | approved |
| India | approved |

## Detailed analysis

## What is Choline Chloride?

Choline chloride is the chloride salt form of choline, a quaternary ammonium compound with the chemical formula C5H14ClNO. It appears as a white to off-white crystalline powder and is highly soluble in water. Choline is classified as an essential nutrient by the National Institutes of Health and is required for multiple physiological functions including cell membrane structure, neurotransmitter synthesis, and lipid metabolism.

## Common Uses

Choline chloride is primarily used as a nutrient supplement in animal feed, particularly for poultry, swine, and aquaculture. It is added to ensure adequate choline intake, which supports proper growth, development, and metabolic function. In human food applications, it appears less frequently as a direct additive but may be present in fortified products and dietary supplements. The compound is also used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations.

## Safety Assessment

Choline chloride has been extensively studied for safety. According to the FDA database, there have been zero reported adverse events associated with choline chloride and zero product recalls. The compound is well-tolerated when consumed at levels consistent with dietary recommendations. The National Academy of Medicine has established Adequate Intake (AI) levels for choline across different age groups, with adult women requiring 425 mg/day and adult men requiring 550 mg/day.

Toxicological studies indicate that choline chloride has low acute toxicity. Animal studies have established no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) at substantial dose levels. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has assessed choline and determined it to be safe at nutritional levels. Some research suggests that excessive choline intake from supplements may produce fishy odors in sweat and urine in individuals with genetic variations in choline metabolism, but this is not classified as a safety hazard.

## Regulatory Status

Choline chloride is not on the FDA's Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) list, though this designation does not indicate the substance is unsafe. Rather, the FDA permits choline chloride use in animal feeds and recognizes choline as an essential nutrient. In the European Union, choline is approved for use in animal nutrition under Regulation (EC) 1107/2008. In the United States, the FDA acknowledges choline as an essential nutrient and permits its use in dietary supplements and fortified foods under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).

## Key Studies

Research on choline and its various salt forms has consistently demonstrated nutritional importance. The Framingham Heart Study and other epidemiological research have associated adequate choline intake with cognitive health and development. A 2018 literature review in Nutrients journal summarized evidence supporting choline's role in fetal brain development and long-term cognitive function. Animal nutrition studies have documented the effectiveness of choline chloride in supporting growth parameters and feed efficiency in various livestock species.

The Institute of Medicine's 1998 report on Dietary Reference Intakes for folate, vitamin B12, choline, betaine, and related compounds established the scientific basis for choline requirements and determined that deficiency is rare in humans consuming varied diets, though supplementation may benefit specific populations.

## Brands using Choline Chloride

- Abbott (21 products)
- Enfamil (11 products)
- Abbott Nutrition (8 products)
- Abbott Laboratories Inc (2 products)
- Bristol-Myers Squibb/Mead Johnson Nutritionals (2 products)
- Nutricia (2 products)
- Rosa Foods, Inc. (2 products)
- BYHEART (1 product)
- Ensure (1 product)
- H E Butt Grocery Company (1 product)
- Kabrita (1 product)
- Mars, Inc. (1 product)
- McGaw Export, Inc. (1 product)
- Similac (1 product)

## Sources

- FDA Substances Added to Food (CFSAN)
- OpenFDA Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS)
- OpenFDA Food Recalls
- EFSA OpenFoodTox
- EU Food Additive Portal

## Citation

Additive Facts. "Choline Chloride — Safety, regulation, and evidence." https://additivefacts.com/additives/choline-chloride. Accessed 2026-05-20.