Comparing E331 - Sodium citrates vs E170II - Calcium hydrogen carbonate

Overview

E331 - Sodium citrates

Sodium citrates (E331) are the sodium salts of citric acid. They control acidity, help foods stay stable, and make processed cheese melt smoothly. You’ll find them in drinks, dairy, and many everyday packaged foods.

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E170II - Calcium hydrogen carbonate

Calcium hydrogen carbonate (E170II) is the dissolved, bicarbonate form of calcium that occurs when carbon dioxide mixes with calcium carbonate in water. It shows up naturally in “hard” water and can be present in some drinks where minerals are balanced for taste and stability. It doesn’t exist as a stable powder; when water is heated or the carbon dioxide escapes, it turns back into ordinary calcium carbonate.

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Synonyms
E331
Sodium citrates
E170ii
Calcium hydrogen carbonate
Calcium bicarbonate
Calcium acid carbonate
Functions
acidity regulatoremulsifying saltsequestrantstabilizer
acidity regulatorraising agent
Origins
Plant
Microbiological
Synthetic
Mineral
Products

Found in 14,247 products

Found in 5 products

Search rank & volume
#388170 / mo🇺🇸U.S.
#2751.2K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
Awareness score

×0.00
under-aware

×18.04
over-aware

Search volume over time

Search history data is not available.

Interest over time for 4 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

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Popular questions

  1. What is e331 in food?

    E331 is sodium citrates—the mono-, di-, and trisodium salts of citric acid—used mainly as acidity regulators/buffers, sequestrants, and emulsifying salts in foods like soft drinks and processed cheese.

  2. How are sodium citrates used in molecular gastronomy?

    They’re used to adjust and buffer pH, chelate calcium, and act as an emulsifying salt—commonly to make ultra-smooth, meltable cheese sauces and to tune acidity/calcium levels for techniques like spherification and stabilizing foams.

  3. What are sodium citrates degradation byproducts?

    Under normal food use they’re stable; with strong heating/combustion they decompose to carbon oxides (CO2/CO) and sodium oxides (and related inorganic residues).

  4. Why does sodium citrates burn?

    It isn’t flammable; any “burning” sensation typically comes from irritation of skin, eyes, or mouth at high concentrations due to its mildly alkaline, saline nature, and on heating it decomposes rather than sustaining a flame.

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  1. How does calcium carbonate neutralize stomach acid?

    Calcium hydrogen carbonate (E170ii) neutralizes stomach acid via an acid–base reaction: Ca(HCO3)2 + 2 HCl → CaCl2 + 2 CO2 + 2 H2O, raising gastric pH.

  2. When calcium carbonate is added to hydrochloric acid?

    Calcium hydrogen carbonate reacts with hydrochloric acid to effervesce (release CO2) and form calcium chloride and water: Ca(HCO3)2 + 2 HCl → CaCl2 + 2 CO2 + 2 H2O.

  3. How does calcium carbonate neutralize acid?

    Its bicarbonate ions consume H+ to form carbonic acid, which decomposes to CO2 and water, leaving a neutral calcium salt (e.g., CaCl2).

  4. Why does calcium carbonate dissolve in acid?

    Acidic H+ converts carbonate/bicarbonate into CO2 and water, removing carbonate from the solid and driving dissolution; calcium hydrogen carbonate itself is soluble in water.

  5. How does calcium carbonate reduce acid rain?

    Calcium hydrogen carbonate isn’t used to prevent acid rain, but carbonate/bicarbonate alkalinity neutralizes acidic waters; industrially, limestone or lime (not Ca(HCO3)2) scrubs SO2 from flue gases, reducing acid‑rain precursors.

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