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Sodium Citrate
Sodium Citrate
Sodium Citrate
What is it:
Sodium citrate, a salt of citric acid, is used as an acidity regulator, emulsifier, and preservative. It is produced through the neutralization of citric acid with sodium hydroxide. It is commonly used as a buffering agent in carbonated beverages, a preservative in processed cheeses, and an emulsifying salt in various dairy products.
Rating:
While citric acid is a naturally occurring component of many citrus fruits, sodium citrate is a synthetic preservative that is not naturally occurring in nature. It has been approved for use in Organic food handling in specific uses. Sodium citrate can be used as a buffering agent when infused in humans, however, there is no research evaluating its safety as a food additive. It may be a skin or eye irritant in industrial exposure. Some research suggests that it may not be as effective as other preservatives at reducing specific types of bacterial growth.
Resources:
- PubChem Sodium Citrate
- Sodium citrate as a buffering agent to improve anaerobic performance (clinical trial)
- Sodium citrate as an approved synthetic substance for specific Organic applications
- USDA technical report of sodium citrate
- Sodium citrate may not be effective at inhibiting Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli growth (in vitro study)
How we rate ingredients
Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:
Clean
It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.
Caution
It goes into one or more of the below categories
- It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
- It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)
We Avoid
It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)
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