Ingredient Glossary - E

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EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid): 
Uses are: 

• Industrial cleaning: binding of heavy metals. 

• Detergents: reduction of water hardness. 

• Photography: as an oxidizing agent. 

• Pulp and paper industry: complexation of heavy metals during chlorine-free bleaching, stabilization of hydrogen peroxide. 

• Textile industry: complexation of heavy metals, bleach stabilizer. 

• Agrochemicals: Fe, Zn and Cu fertilizer, especially in calcareous soils. 

• Hydroponics: iron-EDTA is used to solubilize iron in nutrient solutions. 

• Food: added as preservative to prevent catalytic oxidation by metal ions or stabilizer and for iron fortification. Approved by the FDA as a preservative in packaged foods, vitamins, and baby food. 

• Personal care: added to cosmetics to improve product stability. 

• Oil production: added into the borehole to inhibit mineral precipitation. 

• Dairy and beverage industry: cleaning milk stains from bottles. 

• Flue gas cleaning: removal of NOx. 

• Recycling: recovery of lead from used lead acid batteries. 

• Chelating agent: Salad dressing, margarine, sandwich spreads, mayonnaise, processed fruits and vegetables, canned shellfish, soft drinks. 

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Modern food-manufacturing technology, which involves rollers, blenders, and containers made of metal, results in trace amounts of metal contamination in food. EDTA traps metal impurities, which would otherwise promote rancidity and the breakdown of artificial colors. It is safe.

erythorbic acid: Erythorbic acid or erythorbate. Is a vegetable derived food additive produced from sucrose and is widely used as an antioxidant in processed foods. A study found that erythorbic acid is a potent enhancer of nonheme-iron absorption.