Comparing E331 - Sodium citrates vs E333II - Dicalcium citrate

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.

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.

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).

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.