Among the huge number of preservatives that are successfully used in the food industry these days, sodium citrate, known as E331, occupies a special place. It is a white powder with a rather characteristic sour-salty taste, which is obtained synthesized from citric acid. This substance was first artificially created more than 100 years ago, but it became widespread in industry only in the middle of the last century.
What is the use of E331?
Sodium citrate is an excellent preservative that can protect many food products from spoilage. Among other things, E331 enhances the taste of various dishes, making them more spicy and spicy. This is especially important when you want to enhance the taste of neutral foods. Modern cheeses and sausages, to which sodium citrate is added, would hardly be so appetizing without this sour-salty additive.
It is noteworthy that back in 1914, sodium citrate was first used to stabilize the composition of blood during transfusion, which became a real sensation in the medical world. In addition, this substance helps in the treatment of many diseases, when it comes to stabilizing gastric acidity. If you have nothing else at hand, then a few E331 crystals can eliminate even the most severe heartburn.
Scope of application of sodium citrate
Initially, the preservative E331 was used for medical purposes, and even today it is part of various medications that are used in the treatment of internal inflammatory processes and, in particular, cystitis. In addition, sodium citrate is often used to neutralize the effects of alcohol intoxication and relieve hangover symptoms.
However, the scope of application of this substance in the food industry is much wider. Thus, sodium cystitis helps enhance the taste of carbonated drinks and add a special piquancy to all kinds of spices. In addition, E331 is added as a preservative to meat dishes and dairy products that require prolonged heat treatment. Jelly and jam, candies and yoghurts, various types of canned food, including juices - all these products today often use sodium citrate, which is considered a practically harmless additive. In addition, this substance is now added to coffee machines to stabilize the acidity of the drink and give it a special aroma.
Why is sodium citrate dangerous and should it be abused?
Manufacturers using E331 are unanimous in the opinion that this preservative is absolutely harmless. However, independent studies still show that sodium citrate still has quite a lot of side effects. This substance does not accumulate in the body and is easily excreted naturally along with urine.. However, if the concentration of E331 in a person’s blood exceeds the permissible limit, which is 1.5 g for an adult, then side effects are possible in the form of a sharp increase in blood pressure, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness and short-term loss of consciousness.
Of course, the content of E331 in food products is insignificant, but in some medications it can be quite high. Therefore, if you abuse such drugs, it is unlikely that you will be able to avoid health problems. However, the E331 preservative is officially approved for use in many countries around the world, including Russia, and its use is considered the norm when it comes to the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Gross formula
C6H5Na3O7Pharmacological group of the substance Sodium citrate
Nosological classification (ICD-10)
CAS Code
68-04-2Characteristics of the substance Sodium citrate
Colorless crystals or white crystalline powder, odorless, salty taste.
Pharmacology
pharmachologic effect- anticoagulant, alkalinizing urine, restoring the alkaline state of the blood.Binds Ca++ (plasma IV coagulation factor) and inhibits hemocoagulation (in vitro). Increases Na+ content in the body, increases alkaline blood reserves. Changes the reaction of urine from acidic to alkaline, contributes to the disappearance of symptoms of dysuria.
Application of the substance Sodium citrate
Blood stabilization. Symptomatic treatment of cystitis.
Contraindications
Hypersensitivity.
Restrictions on use
Heart disease, kidney disease, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, low-salt diet, pregnancy, breastfeeding.
Side effects of the substance Sodium citrate
Decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, increased blood pressure.
Routes of administration
Inside.
Precautions for the substance Sodium citrate
The course of treatment should not be repeated frequently. If, after completing the course, symptoms of cystitis remain, it is necessary to verify the diagnosis.
In men and children, cystitis is often bacterial in nature, so prescribing the drug to these patients is not recommended.
Interactions with other active ingredients
Trade names
| Name | The value of the Vyshkowski Index ® |
Sodium citrate (lat. Natrii citras) is the sodium salt of citric acid, which is used in the food industry as an additive E331 as an emulsifier or stabilizer.
Chemical formula of the additive: Na 3 C 6 H 5 O 7. The most popular today is sodium citrate 2-water, which has a high concentration of the main substance and is perfectly amenable to long-term storage.
In appearance, this additive is a white crystalline powder that is easily soluble in water, but slightly soluble in alcohol. The powder is non-flammable and non-explosive, and is non-toxic and non-irritating to the skin, but may irritate the upper respiratory tract if inhaled.
Sodium citrate was first used in 1914 in the process of blood transfusion as an anticoagulant. Later, the additive began to be used in the food industry in the form of a solution.
Today, sodium citrate is produced commercially by neutralizing citric acid with a sodium source (such as sodium hydroxide) and subsequent crystallization.
Due to the fact that sodium citrate has a specific sour-salty taste, the E331 additive is used specifically to improve the taste of products in the form of a seasoning. Also, for this feature, E331 is called “sour salt,” a category that mistakenly includes citric acid itself.
Another function of sodium citrate is to control the acidity of a number of dishes (in particular gelatin-based desserts), as well as to regulate the acidity level in coffee machines.
The E331 additive can hardly be called harmful. Sodium citrate is often used as a medicine to treat cystitis and stabilize blood. It helps reduce heartburn and reduce the effects of a hangover.
Side effects of drugs based on sodium citrate include: increased blood pressure, decreased appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting. But in food products, sodium citrate is used in significantly lower doses than in medicines. In addition, there is not a single fact that the E331 additive caused harm to the health of at least one person. Based on this, we can conclude that the additive E331 (sodium citrate) is harmless to human health within reasonable limits.
Sodium citrates are typically found in all carbonated drinks, as well as those flavored with lime or lemon. E-additive E331 is used in the production of pastilles, soufflés, marmalade, processed cheeses, baby food, yoghurts and milk powder. In dairy production, it is used to produce sterilized and pasteurized milk or fermented milk products, as well as canned milk, the production of which requires prolonged heating of milk.
Additive E331 is included in the list of food additives approved for use in the food industry in Russia and Ukraine.
If you carefully look at the composition of modern food products, in many of them you can find a food additive such as E331 - sodium citrate. According to technologists and nutritionists, it does not cause harm to the body, but you still need to know for what purpose it is used. The chemical reagent is based on sodium salt of citric acid. It has properties that are highly valued in the food industry. You just need to know how to handle it correctly and what dosages should not be exceeded.
Brief characteristics of sodium citrate
The beneficial properties of sodium citrate were discovered and confirmed by scientists at the beginning of the last century. Initially, the reagent was used in medicine, it served as an anticoagulant and was used in blood transfusions. Only a few decades later the substance began to be used in food production.
White powder, consisting of small crystals, has the following physical and chemical properties:
- Sodium citrate is highly soluble in water and poorly soluble in alcohol.
Tip: Sodium citrate has a pronounced sour-salty taste, which is difficult to achieve when combining the usual natural ingredients. But this does not mean that it can be used as a seasoning or food additive in the process of preparing homemade dishes. Such experiments can lead to serious health problems, because it will be very difficult to control the dosage.
- The compound can change and regulate the acidity of other foods.
- E331 is one of the few food additives that can simultaneously perform the functions of an antioxidant, emulsifier, stabilizer and preservative.
- Sodium citrate gives products a more spicy and pungent taste, thereby improving their gastronomic characteristics.
- The chemical reagent stimulates the action of vitamin C.
- The substance reduces the severity of alcohol intoxication and quickly neutralizes its unpleasant consequences.
The process of obtaining a dietary supplement is very simple. To synthesize it, you only need to treat citric acid with sodium. This ease of extraction of the reagent explains its availability and active use in various spheres of human activity.
Applications of sodium citrate in different areas
A harmless and multifunctional chemical composition can simplify many aspects and eliminate a number of hassles and problems. Today, sodium citrate is actively used in the medical, pharmacological, cosmetic and food industries.
- It regulates the acidity level in coffee machines.
- Useful in the production of medicines for cystitis.
- And today it acts as a blood preservative.
- Regulates acidity and stabilizes the environment in marmalade, marshmallows, yoghurts, jellies and other products with special texture requirements.
- It is included in sausages and various canned foods.
- Does not allow milk to coagulate in baby food, yoghurts, canned milk and other dairy products.
- Improves the aroma and taste of drinks with notes of citrus (including carbonated ones).
- Sodium citrate is often added to shampoos and shower gels. It regulates the acid-base balance and provides the product with abundant foam.
If desired, sodium citrate can also be used in home production of food and cosmetics. You just need to familiarize yourself with the technical recommendations for working with the chemical and act strictly according to the schemes.
Benefits and harms of sodium citrate
For the most part, food additives have a negative effect on the human body, even if their effect only becomes apparent after a few years. Sodium citrate is one of the pleasant and few exceptions to this rule. According to experts, the properties of the substance can affect human health in the most positive way:
- Sodium citrate prevents pathological blood clotting.
- Despite its “sour” origin, the ingredient reduces stomach acidity.
- The product is able to act on the principle of a mild laxative.
The reagent is often included in medications whose action is aimed at eliminating heartburn, hangover syndrome, cystitis and inflammation in the kidneys. True, this does not mean that you can independently prescribe the substance in its pure form. If more than 1.5 g of sodium citric acid enters the body during the day, the following negative consequences may occur:
- Decreased appetite, pain and discomfort in the abdomen.
- Nausea and vomiting accompanied by dizziness.
- Diarrhea.
- Blood pressure surges.
Even today, scientists cannot say exactly what dose of sodium citrate is considered acceptable or borderline. Therefore, it is better not to abuse products that contain the substance. Although intolerance to the composition has not been recorded, it is better not to take any unnecessary risks.
Trisodium citric acid
Chemical properties
Sodium Citrate, what is it? To understand what sodium salt of citric acid is, we need to consider its structure. Chemical formula of the substance: Na3C6H5O7. The product has the appearance of a white fine-crystalline powder, has a salty-sour taste, and is odorless. Melts at 310 degrees Celsius. Molecular weight = 258 grams per mole. Tri-substituted Sodium Citrate is highly soluble in water, soluble in alcohols, and insoluble in organic solutions.
Harm and benefit
The chemical compound is actively used:
- as a seasoning, spice, preservative under the code E331 , in the production of lemon-flavored soda, energy drinks, gelatin desserts, in baby food;
- as a buffer to maintain stable pH, as an anticoagulant, in coffee machines;
- in pharmaceuticals, it is part of soluble forms of drugs, for example, from;
- as a laxative in the treatment of genitourinary infections;
- in analytical chemistry, when determining ESR;
- in windshield wiper fluids.
Sodium Citrate, as a rule, does not cause harm to the human body. The substance is non-toxic and does not cause irritation upon contact with skin. It is better not to inhale the product. There have been no recorded cases of poisoning with this chemical compound.
pharmachologic effect
Alkalinizing, anticoagulant, restoring alkaline balance.
Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics
Sodium Citrate has the ability to bind calcium ions, which are plasma coagulation factor 4, and slow down the processes of hemocoagulation. The substance increases the concentration of sodium ions in the body, alkalinizes the blood, changes pH urine, relieves symptoms dysuria .
Indications for use
Sodium citrate is used to stabilize blood, symptomatic treatment of urinary tract diseases; added to the composition of tablets from and hangover .
Contraindications
The substance must not be used for.
Side effects
Sodium Citrate can cause loss of appetite, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, nausea, growth, and allergic skin rashes.
Instructions for use (Method and dosage)
The dosage and frequency of sodium citrate intake depends on the drug used.
During treatment, the substance is taken three times a day for 48 hours. The dosage is selected individually.
Overdose
There is no information about an overdose of the drug.
Interaction
The substance does not interact with drugs. It should be remembered that the product alkalinizes the urine.
special instructions
Treatment courses with Sodium Citrate should not be repeated frequently. If symptoms persist after therapy, it is recommended to change treatment tactics.