In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 food additives are subject to a safety evaluation by the European Food Safety Authroity (EFSA) before they are permitted for use in the European Union. In addition, food additives must be kept under continous evaluation and must be re-evaluated by EFSA.
Stannous chloride dihydrate (E512) is used as a food additive to provide colour retention and act as a antioxidant. It is, however, only permitted as an additive in one food category.
Last reviewed in 2006, stannous chloride has been subject to another review (2017) due to insufficient data from human and animal studies in previous evaluations.
A comprehensive review of stannous chloride by EFSA has cleared it for continued use. The maximum permitted level (MPL) for stannous chloride is unchanged at 25 mg Sn/Kg body weight per day. The mean exposure from experiemnts was recorded at 1.3 microgram Sn/kg body weight per day, far below the maximum permitted level.
Additionally it was found that stannous chloride absorption from gastrointestinal tract was low and there was no concern for genotoxicity or carcinogenicity. The EFSA panel concluded that stannous chloride is of no safety concern in its current authorised use and level.
The full report can be found here