The current invention concerns a fire retardant composition for use in wood composite panels, either comprising a fire retardant agent or an intumescent formulation, whereby the pH of a 10% aqueous solution of said composition lies between 3.5 and 8.5. The present invention also provides for a specific use of the composition in fire retardant wood composite panels, the respective method for producing those panels, as well as the resulting wood composite panels themselves.