Comparing E334 - L(+)-tartaric acid vs E516 - Calcium sulphate

Synonyms
E334
L(+)-tartaric acid
tartaric acid
2‚3-dihydroxybutanedioic acid
2‚3-dihydroxysuccinic acid
threaric acid
racemic acid
uvic acid
paratartaric acid
E516
Calcium sulphate
Gypsum
Selenite
Calcium sulfate
calcium sulfate added to prevent caking
Products

Found in 2,434 products

Found in 2,164 products

Search rank & volume
#1577.7K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
#2293.6K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
Awareness score

×0.46
under-aware

×6.31
over-aware

Search volume over time

Interest over time for 9 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

Interest over time for 6 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

Popular questions
  1. Is tartaric acid bad for you?

    No—L(+)-tartaric acid (E334) is approved for use in foods (e.g., EU E-number; FDA GRAS) and is considered safe at typical levels; very high intakes may cause stomach upset, and only the L(+)-form is used as an additive.

  2. What is tartaric acid used for?

    It’s used as an acidulant to add sourness and control pH, and as an antioxidant/sequestrant; it also partners with baking soda in leavening and is added to wine to adjust acidity.

  3. How much tartaric acid to add to wine?

    It depends on your must/wine’s pH and titratable acidity—bench trials are essential; as a rule of thumb, 1 g/L tartaric acid raises TA by about 1 g/L and can lower pH by ~0.1–0.3, with typical adjustments in the 0.5–2 g/L range subject to local regulations.

  4. What does tartaric acid do?

    It provides a sharp, tart flavor while regulating acidity, chelating metals, and limiting oxidation; in baking it reacts with sodium bicarbonate to release CO2, and in wine it helps set acid balance and stability.

  5. What foods have tartaric acid?

    It occurs naturally in grapes, wine, and tamarind (also in smaller amounts in some fruits), and as an additive it’s found in soft drinks, candies, jams/jellies, gelatin desserts, and baking powders/cream of tartar.

  1. What is gypsum used for?

    In foods (E516), gypsum (calcium sulfate) is used as a stabiliser/firming and anti‑caking agent, a tofu coagulant, and to adjust brewing water; outside food it’s used for plaster, drywall, and as a desiccant.

  2. What is gypsum board?

    Gypsum board (drywall) is a building panel with a calcium sulfate core faced with paper, used for interior walls and ceilings—it's a construction use of the same mineral, not a food application of E516.

  3. What does gypsum do for soil?

    It supplies calcium and sulfate without notably changing pH, and can improve structure and water infiltration in sodic (sodium-affected) soils by displacing sodium; it has little effect on non‑sodic clays.

  4. What is selenite good for?

    Selenite is the crystalline mineral form of gypsum (calcium sulfate); it’s used like gypsum in construction materials and as a source of calcium and sulfate, including limited food uses as additive E516.

  5. How much gypsum to add to soil?

    Apply based on a soil test: typical maintenance rates are about 10–40 lb per 1,000 sq ft (50–200 g/m²) for lawns/gardens, while reclaiming sodic soils can require much more (around 1–4 tons/acre, 2–9 t/ha). Over‑application won’t fix non‑sodic clays and can add unnecessary salts.